Turning Point USA, the grassroots conservative organization founded by the late activist Charlie Kirk, announced plans to host an alternative Super Bowl halftime show aimed at competing with the official performance headlined by Bad Bunny and sponsored by Apple Music.
The event, titled “The All-American Halftime Show,” is scheduled to take place on Super Bowl Sunday, February 8. A website promoting the concert provided limited details but indicated that additional information about performers and broadcast plans would be released at a later date, The Hill reported.
A survey on the event’s website asks visitors to choose their preferred music genres for the show, offering options such as country, hip-hop, rock, or “anything in English.”
Alternative programming during the Super Bowl is not new, with past efforts ranging from “puppy bowls” to wrestling specials aiming to attract viewers away from the halftime broadcast. However, this appears to be the first instance of a political organization launching a competing event specifically in response to disagreement with the official halftime performer, The Hill added.
The announcement of Turning Point USA’s event comes amid growing criticism from conservative circles over the NFL’s choice of Bad Bunny as the official halftime performer.
The Puerto Rican artist, who has achieved global chart success, has drawn attention for his comments about avoiding U.S. tours and being critical of the United States in general under President Trump’s administration.
He has claimed concerns that his concerts could be targeted by federal immigration authorities amid the administration’s expanded deportation efforts.
Bad Bunny publicly supported former Vice President Kamala Harris during last year’s presidential campaign. His endorsement came after an insult comic performing at a Trump rally at Madison Square Garden made a joke referring to Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage,” prompting backlash from the artist and his supporters.
However, several social media posts following the joke highlighted the “garbage” problem that exists in much of the island.
The Trump administration has signaled its own form of protest against Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl appearance, announcing plans to deploy Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to the event during the singer’s performance.
When asked about Bad Bunny’s selection as the halftime performer, President Trump expressed his disapproval, making clear he was not pleased with the NFL’s decision.
“I don’t know who he is, I don’t know why they’re doing it — it’s, like, crazy,” he said. “They blame it on some promoter they hired to pick up entertainment. I think it’s absolutely ridiculous.”
Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance won’t be the first time the NFL has featured Hispanic artists during its halftime show.
In 2020, Colombian singer Shakira and Jennifer Lopez, who is of Puerto Rican descent, shared the stage in a performance that included subtle political messaging critical of the Trump administration’s immigration policies, according to The Guardian.
During the show, several children were depicted inside illuminated pods, a moment widely interpreted as a symbolic reference to the family separation policy enacted during Trump’s first term.
Meanwhile, a former assistant U.S. attorney says that Tyler Robinson’s reason for allegedly killing Kirk may be more crucial during the sentencing phase because prosecutors will try to “dirty up” the defendant in hopes that juries will give him the death penalty.
Officials say Robinson killed Kirk at a TPUSA event on September 10 at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. He is being charged with aggravated murder, two counts of obstructing justice, criminal discharge of a handgun inflicting serious bodily injury, two charges of witness tampering, and committing a violent crime in front of a child.
Authorities say Robinson is claimed to have killed Kirk because he “had enough of his hatred” and “some hate can’t be negotiated out.”