ICE agents will be patrolling the Super Bowl in the Bay Area next February, whether halftime performer Bad Bunny likes it or not.
Corey Lewandowski, an advisor to Donald Trump, confirmed that they will have a presence at America’s biggest event after the 31-year-old rapper said he wouldn’t play the US during his tour out of fears ICE would be outside the shows.
‘There is nowhere you can provide safe haven to people who are in this country illegally. Not the Super Bowl and no where else. We will find and deport you. That is a very real situation,’ Lewandowski said.
Moments before he announced his performance, he tweeted in Spanish, ‘I’ve been thinking about it these days, and after discussing it with my team, I think I’ll do just one date in the United States.’
The rapper will take to one of the biggest stages in music, despite recently citing ICE agents as a reason he didn’t schedule any mainland US dates for his upcoming tour.
Speaking to Variety, he cited the lengthy residency in Puerto Rico – a US territory – and the Trump Administration’s increasing use of ICE agents as reasons why he wouldn’t perform in the Continental US.
‘Man, honestly, yes,’ he replied. ‘There were many reasons why I didn’t show up in the U.S., and none of them were out of hate —I’ve performed there many times.
‘All of (the shows) have been successful. All of them have been magnificent. I’ve enjoyed connecting with Latinos who have been living in the U.S.
ICE agents will be patrolling the Super Bowl in the Bay Area next February, whether halftime performer Bad Bunny (pictured) likes it or not
Corey Lewandowski (pictured right), an advisor to Donald Trump , confirmed that they will have a presence at America’s biggest event after the 31-year-old rapper said he wouldn’t play the US during his tour out of fears ICE would be outside the shows
‘But specifically, for a residency here in Puerto Rico, when we are an unincorporated territory of the US… People from the US could come here to see the show. Latinos and Puerto Ricans of the United States could also travel here, or to any part of the world.
‘But there was the issue of — like, f*****g ICE could be outside (my concert). And it’s something that we were talking about and very concerned about.’
Lewandowski slammed the NFL for tapping the rapper to play the big game: ‘It’s so shameful that they’ve decided to pick somebody who just seems to hate America so much to represent them at the halftime game.’
‘I don’t care if it’s a concert for Johnny Smith or Bad Bunny or anybody else. We’re going to do enforcement everywhere. We are going to make Americans safe. That is a directive from the president. If you’re in this country illegally, do yourself a favor: go home.’
Bad Bunny’s – real name Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio – selection follows weeks of speculation over who would perform. The NFL typically announces the artist for the halftime show in Week 1.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell had long teased pop superstar Taylor Swift to perform at the show, especially after she announced her engagement to Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
‘We would always love to have Taylor play. She is a special, special talent, and obviously she would be welcome at any time,’ Goodell said on the TODAY Show earlier this month.
When pressed by host Savannah Guthrie for more details, Goodell replied, ‘I can’t tell you anything about it’ before adding that it was a ‘maybe’.
Speaking to Variety, Bad Bunny cited the lengthy residency in Puerto Rico – a US territory – and the Trump Administration’s increasing use of ICE agents as reasons why he wouldn’t perform in the Continental US
This marks the third time in the last five Super Bowls where the artist performing was a rapper.
At Super Bowl LVI in Los Angeles, a cast of Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, 50 Cent, Anderson .Paak, and Kendrick Lamar performed. Last year, at Super Bowl LIX, Lamar was the main headliner alongside R&B artist SZA.
According to the Spotify Weekly Top Artists Global chart for the week of September 19, Bad Bunny is the second-most streamed artist behind Swift.
He has over 77million monthly listeners on the platform and over 101million followers on Spotify.
Bad Bunny has been credited with popularizing the sound of Spanish-language rap and trap music worldwide.
He has won three Grammy Awards, eleven Latin Grammy Awards, and has two albums which have gone Platinum in the United States (YHLQMDLG and El Último Tour Del Mundo, both of which were released in 2020).
