A new voice has entered the debate over Bad Bunny‘s Super Bowl halftime show, and it’s one that aligns with a familiar critic. ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith has sided with President Donald Trump’s negative review of the show, framing his take as a necessary, if controversial, perspective on language and audience expectations for the NFL’s biggest stage.
Stephen A. Smith agrees with Donald Trump
During a segment on his podcast, Stephen A. Smith directly addressed the performance and Trump’s reaction to it. He acknowledged the show’s energy but centered his argument on the choice to perform primarily in Spanish.
“Let me get to something that may be deemed controversial. It’s not to me, personally, and that was the Super Bowl halftime show by Bad Bunny, which was primarily sung entirely in Spanish,” Smith said. He added: “… I love how the President of the United States was acting like he wasn’t going to watch, but he was watching… and by the way, while he was watching it, he naturally took time to insult it in the aftermath.” Smith suggested Trump’s criticism was predictable, using it to pivot to his own point about the massive, diverse Super Bowl audience.
Expanding his position, Smith backed the core of Donald Trump’s English language argument, stating it reflected the genuine experience of a large segment of viewers. “There’s millions upon millions of Americans that would have wanted to hear something in English other than Lady Gaga. That is true,” Smith continued. He concluded, “… The president is speaking on behalf… of tens of millions of Americans who are like, ‘I didn’t understand a word he was saying because I don’t know Spanish.’ That is a valid point.”
By framing the issue as one of accessibility and comprehension for the domestic audience, Smith positioned himself closer to Trump’s viewpoint than many of his media peers.
Originally reported by Devanshi Basu on Mandatory.
