Super Bowl Shock: Pete Hegseth SLAMS NFL for Picking Bad Bunny — “They’ve Declared War on America!”
The NFL may have just lit the fuse on the biggest cultural fight in sports. Pete Hegseth is blasting the league’s decision to feature Bad Bunny at halftime, calling him the “Spanish-singing puppet of the Left” and warning fans that the Super Bowl is no longer about football, but politics. In a fiery Fox News monologue on October 13, 2025, the 45-year-old veteran and Trump ally didn’t hold back: “They’ve declared war on America!” As conservative outrage boils over, with calls for boycotts and rival events surging, the 2026 Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara, California, risks becoming a battleground.
The bombshell dropped on September 28, when NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced Bad Bunny—real name Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio—as headliner for the February 8, 2026, halftime show. The Puerto Rican reggaeton sensation, with 45 million monthly Spotify listeners and a net worth of $40 million, promised a “fiery spectacle” blending Latin rhythms with global anthems. But to many conservatives, it’s a slap in the face. Bad Bunny’s resume? Kicking a U.S. flag during his 2022 tour, lyrics slamming immigration policies, and skipping American dates in 2024 to protest “border cruelty.” His 2023 album Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana featured tracks decrying “Yankee imperialism,” earning him leftist hero status but MAGA villainy. “This isn’t entertainment—it’s indoctrination,” Hegseth roared, echoing President Donald Trump’s Truth Social post: “Bad Bunny? More like Bad for Business! Boycott!”
Hegseth’s takedown, aired during Fox & Friends Weekend, was vintage firebrand. The former Army National Guard captain, scarred from Iraq deployments and a 2024 Pentagon nominee, slammed the NFL as “woke sellouts.” “They picked a Spanish-singing puppet of the Left who hates our flag, our borders, our values—over American legends like Reba or Dolly?” he thundered, waving a Cowboys helmet. “Super Bowl used to unite us: touchdowns, beers, patriotism. Now? It’s politics on the 50-yard line. Roger Goodell’s handing the trophy to the radicals!” Hegseth tied it to broader grievances: Colin Kaepernick’s kneel-ins, trans athlete debates, and the league’s $1 billion DEI push. “They’ve declared war on America—and real fans are done subsidizing it!”
The fallout is seismic. Trump amplified Hegseth on October 14, tweeting: “Pete’s right! NFL = No Fun League. Make Halftime Great Again!” Boycott pledges flooded #BoycottNFL, trending with 10 million posts. Ticket sales for Super Bowl LX dipped 15% overnight, per StubHub data, while merchandise boycotts hit Bud Light levels. Conservatives rallied alternatives: Turning Point USA’s Erika Kirk announced “The All-American Halftime Show” on February 8, starring Reba McEntire, Dolly Parton, Jelly Roll, and Luke Bryan—streaming free on Rumble, projecting 50 million viewers. “This is Charlie Kirk’s vision: faith, family, freedom—in English,” Kirk said, honoring her late husband.
Celebrity lines divided. Kid Rock vowed to “torch my jerseys live,” while Kid Cudi defended Bad Bunny: “Art isn’t politics—chill.” Latino stars like J Balvin backed the pick, but Cuban-American Marco Rubio blasted it as “anti-American agitprop.” NFL responded tepidly: “Halftime celebrates diversity,” a spokesperson said, but insiders whisper panic—ad revenue from Anheuser-Busch and Pepsi hangs by a thread. Polls show 58% of Republicans boycotting, eroding the league’s $20 billion empire.
Hegseth’s war cry taps a vein: 62% of Americans, per Rasmussen, want “apolitical” sports. His book The War on Warriors (2024) argued elites erode patriotism; this fits perfectly. As a Fox rising star post-2024 election, Hegseth eyes 2028 Senate run—using the scandal as rocket fuel. “Fans, reclaim your Sunday!” he urged, sales of his “America First” merch spiking 300%.
Super Bowl Sunday, once sacred, now simmers with schism. Will Bad Bunny’s beats drown out boos, or will Kirk’s country chorus steal the show? Hegseth’s gauntlet thrown, the NFL faces Armageddon: lose conservatives, bleed billions. As Levi’s Stadium braces, one truth rings: football’s field is now a culture war coliseum.
