The contention over Bad Bunny‘s impending performance at the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show roils on.
After various Trump-aligned politicians voiced their disapproval of the Puerto Rican superstar snagging the headlining role in one of the most-watched broadcasts of the year, and Bad Bunny responding in kind by joking that English-speaking Americans have “four months to learn Spanish,” a petition has cropped up calling for his replacement.
Organized by the likely pseudonymous “Kar Shell,” the petition on Change.org urges the National Football League and halftime show organizers Roc Nation to swap in country legend George Strait for the Latin rap phenom. Claiming that halftime shows as of late have “leaned increasingly towards modern pop and international artists,” the petition insists that it’s instead “pivotal to remember the roots that have made American music what it is today.”
Todd Owyoung/Peacock
Bad Bunny performing in 2025
Since his 2016 breakout, the musician, actor, and producer, whose distinct musical style fuses reggaeton, rap, Latin trap, and merengue, has won over a legion of international fans, becoming one of the most listened-to artists on Spotify and accumulating nearly 50 million followers on Instagram.
Though boasting numerous No. 1 singles over the course of his four-decade career, Strait’s current reach pales in comparison to Bad Bunny’s, with just over 2 million Instagram followers and no major hit in over a decade.
Still, the petition claims that Strait “embodies the heart and soul of American music,” and “His ability to transcend generations with his timeless songs resonates with a diverse demographic.”
The petition then characterizes the Super Bowl’s annual halftime show as providing “a unique opportunity to pay tribute to American music’s rich heritage.” That show, so says the petition’s organizer, “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. Again, George Strait embodies unity, tradition, and the timeless American music that truly deserves the 2026 Super Bowl spotlight.”
Entertainment Weekly has reached out to the organizer of the petition for comment.
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Department of Homeland Security secretary Kristi Noem was the first Trump official to launch an offensive against Bad Bunny, vowing to send Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to the halftime show.
Bad Bunny, who is American by virtue of being born in the unincorporated territory of Puerto Rico, has previously shared that he skipped U.S. cities on his recent Debí Tirar Más Fotos world tour in large part out of fear that “f—ing ICE could be outside [my concert]. And it’s something that we were talking about and very concerned about.”
But others have supported the musician born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, including Jennifer Lopez, who brought Bad Bunny on stage during her 2020 coheadlining performance with Shakira. “Music and art transcends language. It doesn’t matter. He’s done that probably more than anybody of any generation,” she said on CBS Mornings on Oct. 6.
Given last year’s halftime show drawing over 127 million viewers, Bad Bunny may not need to lose sleep over 50,000 signees calling for his replacement.
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