NFL chiefs back Bad Bunny Super Bowl LX show amid Trump protest fears
NFL chiefs have defended choosing Bad Bunny to headline the Super Bowl LX half-time show amid fears he will ignite a row over President Trump’s immigration crackdown.
The Puerto Rican declared “ICE out” at the Grammy Awards on Sunday in protest at federal agents’ hardline approach, including the fatal shooting of two people in Minneapolis last month.
Bad Bunny is expected to perform entirely in Spanish at the Super Bowl and said he avoided US dates on his last world tour over concerns his fans would be targeted by ICE raids.
“Bad Bunny is one of the greatest artists in the world and that’s one of the reasons we chose him,” said NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.
“But the other reason is he understood the platform he was on. This platform is used to unite people and to be able to bring people together with their creativity, with their talent, and to be able to use this moment to do that.
“I think artists in the past have done that. I think Bad Bunny understands that and I think he’ll have a great performance.”
Sunday’s Super Bowl LX will see six-time winners the New England Patriots take on the Seattle Seahawks at the Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
Bad Bunny half-time show dubbed ‘Woke Bowl’
Bad Bunny – real name Benito Ocasio – is one of the world’s most-streamed artists and spoke out at the Grammys after becoming the first Latin star to win the album of the year award.
“Before I say thanks to God, I’m going to say ICE out,” he said. “We’re not savages, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens. We are humans and we are Americans.”
Trump became the first sitting US president to attend a Super Bowl last year in New Orleans but is swerving the game near San Francisco, a Democrat stronghold.
He has cited the long distance to travel and been critical of the performers booked for the half-time show, who also include Trump critics Green Day – leading some Republicans to dub the event the “Woke Bowl”.
ICE agents are expected to deployed in large numbers at the Super Bowl and Goodell added: “Security’s obviously one of the things we focus on the most.
“It’s a tier-one level event. That involves unique assets at a federal level, state level and local level all working together.
“I see no change in that with the preparations for the Super Bowl. We’re working with all three of those levels and doing everything we can to make sure it’s a safe environment.
“The federal government is a big part of that, including this administration and every administration before that.”