Newsmax absolutely hated that Bad Bunny was chosen to headline the Super Bowl halftime show — so much so that it embraced a false claim that he would wear a dress during the show. It also endeavored to promote the right-wing-friendly alternative halftime show featuring Kid Rock put on by Turning Point USA. Newsmax touted the show in an Oct. 9 article by James Morley III, which added that “The NFL is facing criticism from conservative commentators and Republican politicians, including President Donald Trump, over its Super Bowl halftime choice.”
(UPDATE: Host Greg Kelly freaked out over the choice as well.)
Nicole Weatherholtz followed with an Oct. 21 article:
A petition to replace Puerto Rican rapper and singer Bad Bunny with country music legend George Strait as the halftime performer at next year’s Super Bowl LX has gained traction online, with tens of thousands signing to urge the NFL to make the switch.
With 54,816 signatures as of Tuesday afternoon, the Change.org petition argues that the 2026 “halftime show should unite our country, honor American culture, and remain family-friendly, not be turned into a political stunt.”
“Bad Bunny represents none of these values; his drag performances and style are the opposite of what families expect on football’s biggest stage,” the petition states.
That petition was quite unsuccessful, but Weatherholtz continued to spew hate:
Shortly after Bad Bunny was announced as the next Super Bowl halftime performer, conservative social media accounts erupted in outrage over the NFL’s decision.
“Bad Bunny is a demonic Marxist who was [has] been granted the largest stage with the greatest audience in the middle of a Christian revival,” The Redheaded Libertarian wrote on X. “This is by design. We are in a spiritual war and once you see it you can’t unsee it.”
Unsurprisingly, Bad Bunny was not given an opportunity to respond to such smears,
The man himself touted the show in a Feb. 6 article by Weatherholtz, who took another needless shot at Bad Bunny:
Kid Rock said Sunday’s All-American Halftime Show — Turning Point USA’s alternative Super Bowl LX performance — isn’t meant to be a political statement; it’s for people who “love Jesus” and “love America.”
“One thing important that I would like to get out there and say to everyone is that, I think I speak for us all at Turning Point, the other artists that are performing, when I say that in no way, shape, or form — don’t let the left twist this around — like, in no way are we approaching this with any hate in our hearts,” he said in a video posted Thursday on X with conservative political commentator Benny Johnson.
“We’re simply going to go play some great songs, like I’ve said, for our base — people who love football, love America, love good music, love Jesus,” Kid Rock continued. “It’s pretty much that simple.”
Turning Point USA says the show will celebrate “American faith, family, and freedom.” In addition to Kid Rock, the lineupincludes Gabby Barrett, Lee Brice and Brantley Gilbert.
[…]Turning Point USA, the organization founded by the late conservative leader Charlie Kirk and led by his widow, Erika Kirk, announced the alternative show after the NFL revealed last fall that Puerto Rican pop star Bad Bunny would be the halftime performer, sparking conservative backlash.
The entertainer sings primarily in Spanish and has been publicly critical of President Donald Trump and U.S. immigration enforcement.
The Puero Rican, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, has said he would not tour in the U.S. over fear that his fans could be targeted by federal immigration authorities.
Weatherholtz did not mention the real name of Kid Rock (Robert Ritchie).