Bad Bunny. Photo: Calvin Klein
Yesterday’s Super Bowl LX halftime show became a high-stakes political battleground, with CA Gov Gavin Newsom seizing the moment to troll his rivals.
Newsom officially declared February 8 “Bad Bunny Day” in California, using a viral social media campaign that mocked the President’s all-caps posting style to praise the singer’s “tremendous” voice and “very nice looks.”
The proclamation served as a direct rebuttal to Turning Point USA’s rival “All-American” show featuring Kid Rock. Newsom used the occasion to needle the rocker, jokingly claiming he is “indefinitely suspended” from California for “horrific music” and mocking the recent collapse of Kid Rock’s “Rock the Country” festival.
Bad Bunny’s performance itself was a masterclass in spectacle and representation.
The set opened with a high-energy “Tití Me Preguntó” before moving into a surprise duet of “Despacito” with Daddy Yankee. In a moment that set social media ablaze, Lady Gaga joined him on stage for a neon-drenched rendition of “Bibi,” followed by a soaring finale with Ricky Martin.
Clad in a custom gender-fluid ensemble, the singer closed the set by waving the Puerto Rican flag and declaring, “El amor siempre gana” (Love always wins), cementing the show as a landmark moment for LGBTQ+ and Latino visibility.
Analysts view Newsom’s defense of the global icon as a strategic move to position himself for a 2028 presidential run, framing California as the progressive vanguard against MAGA cultural grievances.
