Launched this week, the Change.org petition has garnered more than 5,100 signatures as of this writing, with the organizer’s arguing that George Strait will unite America while Bad Bunny will perform a “political stunt.”
“The Super Bowl 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,” the petition claims. “George Strait embodies unity, tradition, and the timeless American music that truly deserves the 2026 Super Bowl spotlight.”
Neither the NFL nor country star George Strait has commented on the matter.
According to Adweek, the Super Bowl halftime show did not evolve into a pop cultural sensation until Michael Jackson performed in 1993. Prior to then, Americans tuned out in large numbers and the NFL reformed the show to keep the ratings high.
The turning point was 1993. For the 26 Super Bowls preceding, the halftime show had been little more than a glorified station break: 20 minutes to run to the bathroom, fetch a beer and stir the onion dip.
While the occasional fading star made an appearance (Carol Channing in 1972, for example), the early halftimes—however well choreographed and well intentioned—amounted to a cultural cringe-o-rama. Fans of a certain age might remember 1989’s Elvis Presto, a Vegas-style King impersonator who did card tricks. With deeper regret, they might recall Up With People, a treacly (and overwhelmingly white) dance troupe that sang about … people.
That all changed in 1993. And we have Fox to thank for it.
As Breitbart News reported, Bad Bunny has expressed staunchly anti-ICE views and even previously pledged not to perform in the United States in protest of the Trump administration.
“Honest, I can’t risk the safety of my fans like that. Mainland America just doesn’t feel necessary to me anymore,” Bad Bunny said prior to the NFL tapping him for the halftime show. “I’ve already performed there many times. Fans in the U.S. have had plenty of chances to see me perform live.”
The singer also told i-D Magazine last month that he feared ICE raids at his U.S. concerts.
“But there was the issue of — like, fucking ICE could be outside [my concerts]. And it’s something that we were talking about and very concerned about,” he said.
The singer expressed no qualms about performing in the halftime show in a statement after the NFL selected him.
“What I’m feeling goes beyond myself. It’s for those who came before me and ran countless yards so I could come in and score a touchdown … this is for my people, my culture and our history,” he said at the time of the selection.
Breitbart News
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