February 8, 2026
Bad Bunny Super Bowl halftime draws 128 million vs Turning Point's 6 million
Conservative group stages rival show honoring assassinated founder Charlie Kirk
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Turning Point USA announced its All-American Halftime Show on Oct. 9, 2025, positioning it as a patriotic alternative to the NFL's choice of Bad Bunny for Super Bowl LX. Turning Point spokesperson Andrew Kolvet said the event had 'no other agenda than faith, family, and freedom.' The show was scheduled to stream at the same time as the official NFL halftime performance on Feb. 8, 2026. It featured country artists Kid Rock, Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice, and Gabby Barrett.
Charlie Kirk founded Turning Point USA in 2012 and built it into a major conservative youth organization. He was assassinated on Sept. 10, 2025, when Tyler Robinson shot him at an outdoor debate at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. Robinson, a 22-year-old from Washington, Utah, fired a single shot from a building rooftop approximately 142 yards away. Kirk died at a local hospital. Robinson was charged with aggravated murder and prosecutors announced they would seek the death penalty. Kirk's widow, Erika Kirk, became CEO of Turning Point USA after his death.
Kid Rock ended his performance with a memorial tribute to Charlie Kirk. Photos of Kirk, his wife Erika, and their children appeared on video screens surrounding the stage with the text 'In remembrance of Charlie Kirk.' The broadcast then displayed the Bible verse Isaiah 6:8: 'Here am I, send me.' Kid Rock performed the song 'Til You Can't' under his birth name Robert Ritchie as part of the tribute. The entire show opened with the message: 'This one is for you, Charlie.'
War Secretary Pete Hegseth recorded a video message that aired before the concert began. He said: 'From the War Department, we salute Turning Point USA and everyone who believes freedom is still worth the fight. Thank you for your courage as an organization, your clarity and leadership, and for this halftime show the War Department is proud to support.' Hegseth was confirmed as Defense Secretary on Jan. 25, 2025, in a 51-50 vote requiring Vice President JD Vance to break the tie. Trump signed an executive order on Sept. 5, 2025, renaming the Department of Defense to the Department of War.
The show drew 6.1 million concurrent viewers on YouTube at its peak. Turning Point also streamed on Rumble, which added approximately 225,000 concurrent viewers. The show was broadcast on eight conservative media outlets: Daily Wire+, Real America's Voice, Trinity Broadcasting Network, Charge!, The National News Desk, One America News Network, and NTD America. Turning Point initially planned to stream on X but canceled hours before the event citing 'licensing restrictions.' The YouTube video reached 19 million total views within 24 hours. Bad Bunny's official NFL halftime show averaged 128.2 million viewers on television.
Bad Bunny performed his Super Bowl halftime set entirely in Spanish with guest appearances from Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin. He concluded by holding up a football with the message: 'together, we are American.' The performance came one week after Bad Bunny accepted the Grammy Award for Best Música Urbana Album on Feb. 1, 2026. He began his acceptance speech saying: 'Before I say thanks to God, I'm gonna say: ICE out. We're not savages, we're not animals, we're not aliens. We are humans and we are Americans.' The crowd at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles gave him a standing ovation.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said before the Super Bowl: 'I think the president would much prefer a Kid Rock performance over Bad Bunny.' Trump posted on Truth Social immediately after Bad Bunny's performance: 'absolutely terrible, one of the worst, EVER!' But video footage from Trump's Super Bowl gathering at Mar-a-Lago showed that Bad Bunny's halftime performance was broadcast in the room, not Turning Point's alternative show. Trump has not commented on the Turning Point USA show.
Conservative backlash to Bad Bunny began when the NFL announced him as the halftime performer on Sept. 20, 2025. Trump said it was 'absolutely ridiculous' that Bad Bunny was performing even though Trump admitted he had 'never heard' of the global music star. Some conservatives incorrectly called Bad Bunny a 'foreigner' despite the fact that he was born in Puerto Rico, making him a U.S. citizen. Bad Bunny excluded the continental United States from his 2025-2026 concert tour, telling i-D magazine he feared ICE could raid concert venues. The controversy intensified after his 'ICE OUT' Grammy speech criticizing the Trump administration's immigration enforcement operations.
Turning Point USA announced it will produce another All-American Halftime Show for Super Bowl LXI in 2027. Spokesperson Andrew Kolvet said the 2026 show was a 'massive success' and a 'shot across the bow.' He claimed the show received over 25 million views across YouTube and Rumble combined, though this figure includes post-event replay views rather than only live concurrent viewership. Several Nashville bars, including Kid Rock's own Big Ass Honky Tonk & Steakhouse, switched their televisions from the Super Bowl to the Turning Point show during halftime.
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People, bills, and sources
Erika Kirk
CEO of Turning Point USA
Charlie Kirk
Founder of Turning Point USA (deceased)
Pete Hegseth
Secretary of War
Bad Bunny
Super Bowl LX halftime performer
Kid Rock
All-American Halftime Show headliner
Donald Trump
President of the United States
Andrew Kolvet
Turning Point USA spokesperson
What you can do
1
learning more
Understand how executive branch officials use their positions to endorse partisan events
War Secretary Pete Hegseth's video message supporting Turning Point USA raises questions about whether Cabinet officials should use their official titles to endorse partisan entertainment events. The Hatch Act restricts federal employees from using their official authority to influence elections, but Cabinet members have more latitude. Research how executive branch officials have historically balanced their official duties with political activities.
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learning more
Research how conservative media infrastructure competes with mainstream entertainment
The All-American Halftime Show demonstrates how conservative organizations are building parallel cultural institutions. The show streamed on eight conservative media outlets and reached 6 million concurrent viewers, showing significant audience reach outside traditional media. Study how this media fragmentation affects shared national experiences and political polarization.
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learning more
Examine the gap between political rhetoric and private behavior
Trump publicly attacked Bad Bunny's performance but privately watched it at his Super Bowl party rather than the Turning Point alternative. This reveals how political posturing for public consumption can differ from actual preferences. Consider how politicians use cultural criticism to build political identity while their private choices may differ.
4
civic action
Contact your representative about xenophobic attacks on U.S. citizens
Bad Bunny is a U.S. citizen born in Puerto Rico, yet conservatives called him a 'foreigner' and criticized his Spanish-language performance. Puerto Ricans have been U.S. citizens since 1917. Congressional representatives can speak out against xenophobic rhetoric targeting U.S. citizens and defend the status of Puerto Rico as U.S. territory.
I'm calling about xenophobic attacks on Bad Bunny during the Super Bowl. He's a U.S. citizen born in Puerto Rico, but conservatives called him a 'foreigner' for performing in Spanish. Puerto Ricans have been U.S. citizens since 1917. Will the Representative defend U.S. citizens from xenophobic rhetoric and reaffirm Puerto Rico's status as U.S. territory? This kind of rhetoric erases Puerto Ricans' American identity.