Turning Point USA announces counterprogram Super Bowl halftime show
Bad Bunny was announced as the NFL Super Bowl halftime performer on Sept. 28.
Conservative advocacy group Turning Point USA has announced a counterprogram halftime show that will be held during next year's official Super Bowl LX halftime show.
The nonprofit, founded by the late activist Charlie Kirk, who was killed during a public speaking event on Sept. 10, revealed this week that its counterprogram show would run opposite the NFL's Super Bowl LX halftime show at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on Feb. 8 and will be called The All American Halftime Show.
Last month, the NFL announced Bad Bunny as the 2026 Super Bowl LX Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show performer.
"It's true, Turning Point USA is thrilled to announce The All American Halftime Show," the organization wrote on X on Thursday. "Performers and event details coming soon."
The post linked to a website for "The All American Halftime Show," stating the event will celebrate "Faith, Family & Freedom" and adding that more information and musical artists will be announced at a later date.
Along with the announcement, the website includes a contact form giving followers the option to be updated with more details on the event as they are announced. The form also asks registrants to share the genres of music they would like to see featured at the show, with options including Americana, classic rock, country, hip-hop, pop, worship and "Anything in English."
The announcement comes after several days of conservative backlash to the NFL's decision to hire Bad Bunny as the Super Bowl LX halftime show performer.
Bad Bunny, who was born in Puerto Rico and is an American citizen, sings almost exclusively in Spanish and is expected to perform in Spanish during the Super Bowl halftime event.
Turning Point USA contributor and far-right commentator Jack Posobiec floated the idea for a counterprogrammed halftime show earlier this week following Bad Bunny's Oct. 4 "Saturday Night Live" appearance, in which the singer delivered a message in Spanish and then said "If you didn't understand what I just said, you have four months to learn."
"Seems like a great reason for an alternative halftime show," Posobiec wrote on X at the time.
Riley Gaines, a fellow Turning Point USA contributor, former collegiate swimmer and anti-transgender conservative activist, also seized on Bad Bunny's "SNL" comments, writing on X, "Bad Bunny told Americans they had 4 months to learn Spanish if we wanted to understand the Super Bowl halftime show. No thanks. We'll just have our own. Enjoy your low-rated halftime show."
Bad Bunny has been on the receiving end of conservative backlash recently for his outspoken support of immigrants in the United States amid recent ICE crackdowns.
President Donald Trump also weighed in on the artist's Super Bowl halftime show selection earlier this month, saying, "I've never, I never heard of him. I don't know who he is. I don't know why they're doing it. It's, like, crazy. Then they blame it on some promoter that they hired to pick up entertainment. I think it's -- I think it's absolutely ridiculous."
ABC News has reached out to a representative for Bad Bunny and the NFL for comment on the Turning Point USA announcement.
You would think that Cracker Barrel was planning to take Uncle Herschel off of their signs again.
Let's not forget, these are the very same people that accuse the Democrats of getting triggered. That accuse the Democrats of being snowflakes and accuse the left of cancel culture. It seems the saying is true that each accusation is an admission.
Intoducing for The Cleveland Browns, Quarterback Deshawn "The Predator" Watson. He will also be the one to choose your next head coach.
I still don't understand why MAGA hates Bad Bunny? I mean, personally, I can't name one of his songs... Not sure I've ever heard one.
But I know he's very popular. Has a very large legion of fans.. Which is the point.. If you wanna drag people in to watch a show, you gotta put something up for them to wanna watch.
I mean, I like Lee Greenwood, but he's not going to drag in an audience.. I did see a flyer online of who's going to show up on the bill for the Turning Point USA show. Good artists.. NOT Bad Bunny level in popularity, but good.
for me, MAGA is just being Cry Babies. Just like their leader.
#GMSTRONG
“Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts.” Daniel Patrick Moynahan
"Alternative facts hurt us all. Think before you blindly believe." Damanshot
I’m betting the NFL halftime show will get much higher ratings than the all American Hallftime Show. Want to now why? The whole world watches the SB. Not just MAGA Americans. Then Trump will lie and say the MAGA show had better ratings.
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." Thomas Jefferson.
Music has been my profession for over 40 years. It's been the center of my life since the age of 9. I was about 11-12 years old when I realized that I wasn't going to be learning how to play Motown hits . I stuck with it. Instead, it took me into a world where foreign languages play a significant role in the culture. Folks call what I do "Classical" music, but a better title is Western Art Music- because this culture came from Europe (the global west). I sang in WAM-based choirs, and learned how to pronounce words in Latin, Italian, French, German, Spanish... even though I don't speak any of those languages. It was just part of the WAM culture: you perform the piece in the original language of the composer. It's respect for the originator; it's respect for Tradition.
Personally, I think it's one of the coolest things my job/culture has ever given me. It has given me an appreciation of language that I never would have developed, if spoken American English was the only thing I'd ever heard.
Sunday, at 2:00PM, I'll be making noise with 40 other people. In a basement. Sending that noise up through a bigass hole on the first floor- and into a 900-seat auditorium. Onstage, a 'play' will be presented- by people who sing their parts like actors recite their lines. The entire 'play' will be presented in French (cool advancement of the tradition: since the 80's,the tech existed for theaters to project "supertitles" above the stage- with English translation. Now, foreign audiences of all languages can follow the dialogue, get the jokes, etc).
It's true: pieces performed in the original language flow in ways that do not translate to others. It's inherent in language- and don't be misled: Music is a language skill. We translate symbols on a page into something people can hear.
Bad Bunny's music is an outgrowth of where/how he was raised. His lyrical flow is based upon the everyday speech patterns that he's heard since infancy. It's only logical to assume that his output would/should be in his first tongue. That ability of his has made him a worldwide phenomenon... and I'd bet that at least 50% of That World doesn't understand Spanish any better than I do.
They just hear something they like.
NFL is a private, for profit corporation. They made a business decision that made total sense. NFL wants to compete with Futbol on the world stage. Hire an international sensation to help promote your product.
Counterprogramming by TPUSA is totaly understandable. They would like to use the Super Bowl halftime slot to reach their culture's eyeballs as well. Everyone should be allowed to present their SB halftime slot as they see fit. Everyone in TVLand should be able to choose how they entertain themselves during that slot. 1A at work. Clemstatus: approved.
I guess what bothers me most about this: that any of this is remotely political. NFL chose BB for profit/eyeballs, and it was instantly made political by the media for mass consumption of their likes, reposts and clicks. It's cynical af- and I hate what it makes of us, when we stop thinking- and default to reacting.
I hate that two things I've always loved- Music and NFL Football- are now part of the deluge of daily sludge that drowns us all.
We should be better than this- but we aren't. I hate living with that.
Music has been my profession for over 40 years. It's been the center of my life since the age of 9. I was about 11-12 years old when I realized that I wasn't going to be learning how to play Motown hits . I stuck with it. Instead, it took me into a world where foreign languages play a significant role in the culture. Folks call what I do "Classical" music, but a better title is Western Art Music- because this culture came from Europe (the global west). I sang in WAM-based choirs, and learned how to pronounce words in Latin, Italian, French, German, Spanish... even though I don't speak any of those languages. It was just part of the WAM culture: you perform the piece in the original language of the composer. It's respect for the originator; it's respect for Tradition.
Personally, I think it's one of the coolest things my job/culture has ever given me. It has given me an appreciation of language that I never would have developed, if spoken American English was the only thing I'd ever heard.
Sunday, at 2:00PM, I'll be making noise with 40 other people. In a basement. Sending that noise up through a bigass hole on the first floor- and into a 900-seat auditorium. Onstage, a 'play' will be presented- by people who sing their parts like actors recite their lines. The entire 'play' will be presented in French (cool advancement of the tradition: since the 80's,the tech existed for theaters to project "supertitles" above the stage- with English translation. Now, foreign audiences of all languages can follow the dialogue, get the jokes, etc).
It's true: pieces performed in the original language flow in ways that do not translate to others. It's inherent in language- and don't be misled: Music is a language skill. We translate symbols on a page into something people can hear.
Bad Bunny's music is an outgrowth of where/how he was raised. His lyrical flow is based upon the everyday speech patterns that he's heard since infancy. It's only logical to assume that his output would/should be in his first tongue. That ability of his has made him a worldwide phenomenon... and I'd bet that at least 50% of That World doesn't understand Spanish any better than I do.
They just hear something they like.
NFL is a private, for profit corporation. They made a business decision that made total sense. NFL wants to compete with Futbol on the world stage. Hire an international sensation to help promote your product.
Counterprogramming by TPUSA is totaly understandable. They would like to use the Super Bowl halftime slot to reach their culture's eyeballs as well. Everyone should be allowed to present their SB halftime slot as they see fit. Everyone in TVLand should be able to choose how they entertain themselves during that slot. 1A at work. Clemstatus: approved.
I guess what bothers me most about this: that any of this is remotely political. NFL chose BB for profit/eyeballs, and it was instantly made political by the media for mass consumption of their likes, reposts and clicks. It's cynical af- and I hate what it makes of us, when we stop thinking- and default to reacting.
I hate that two things I've always loved- Music and NFL Football- are now part of the deluge of daily sludge that drowns us all.
We should be better than this- but we aren't. I hate living with that.
.02
I agree without reservation with your comment. Completely!
Big point you made: the NFL is a PRIVATE for profit Corporation. They have every right to present their product the way they feel. All this cry baby stuff is maddening..
#GMSTRONG
“Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts.” Daniel Patrick Moynahan
"Alternative facts hurt us all. Think before you blindly believe." Damanshot
I appreciate your comments and agree with every word of it. But bottom line here for me is all of this is much more superficial and direct messaging than that. There is a reason that they are calling theirs the "The All American Halftime Show". It's a direct message that they don't see the Bad Bunny half time show as being "American".
They aren't even trying to hide that. For them if the words of the music aren't in English it isn't "American". It's simply a further continuation of the hate being spewed. The fact of the matter is Puerto Rico is an American territory. Everyone born in Puerto Rico is a U.S. citizen and Spanish is the primary language in Puerto Rico. It's as American as any other music we hear in America.
This is who they are.
Intoducing for The Cleveland Browns, Quarterback Deshawn "The Predator" Watson. He will also be the one to choose your next head coach.
Probably not. I hate the spectacle of the superbowl halftime show The superbowl should be aout the game. Haven't bothered to wartch it in 20 years or so The only one I regreat missing is the Janet Jackson/Justin Timberlake wardrobe malfunctioin show.
Will I tune in to the alternative programming show? Absolutely not
The difference between Jesus and religion Religion mocks you for having dirty feet Jesus gets down on his knees and washes them
. I stuck with it. Instead, it took me into a world where foreign languages play a significant role in the culture. Folks call what I do "Classical" music, but a better title is Western Art Music- because this culture came from Europe (the global west). I sang in WAM-based choirs, and learned how to pronounce words in Latin, Italian, French, German, Spanish... even though I don't speak any of those languages. It was just part of the WAM culture: you perform the piece in the original language of the composer. It's respect for the originator; it's respect for Tradition.