US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem has hit out over the NFL’s plans to host Bad Bunny at next year’s Super Bowl Halftime Show.
Earlier this week, the Puerto Rican musician made headlines when he was announced as the headliner for the 2026 event in February, an announcement that came after he admitted that he won’t be touring the US during his forthcoming world tour due to fears over ICE agents raiding his concerts.
Announcing the slot, he wrote on social media: “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.” A member of Donald Trump‘s administration then confirmed that ICE agents would be present at the show.
Now, Noem has reiterated that ICE’s presence will be felt at the show.
“I have the responsibility for making sure everybody goes to the Super Bowl, has the opportunity to enjoy it and to leave,” she said during an appearance on The Benny Show.
“That’s what America’s about. So yeah, we’ll be all over that place. We’re going to enforce the law. So, I think people should not be coming to the Super Bowl unless they’re law-abiding Americans who love this country.”
Noem also hit out at the NFL for choosing Bad Bunny as its halftime performer, despite the largely Spanish-performing artist being a US citizen.
She added: “Well, they suck, and we’ll win. And God will bless us, and we’ll stand and be proud of ourselves at the end of the day. And they won’t be able to sleep at night because they don’t know what they believe. And they’re so weak, we’ll fix it.”
Her comments came ahead of Bad Bunny‘s appearance on Saturday Night Live, which saw him take aim at the right-wing backlash to the upcoming performance, joking that “everyone is happy” about the concert, “even Fox News.”
He then rolled a series of spliced clips of hosts on the network, all of which combined to say: “Bad Bunny is my favourite musician and he should be the next President.”
After touching on his excitement about playing the coveted Super Bowl slot, he said he knew “people all around the world who love my music are also happy,” and continued on in Spanish.
“Especially all the Latinos and Latinas in the whole world, and here in the United States, all the people who have worked to open doors, more than I have achieved, who have achieved everything, demonstrating that our way, our carrying of this country, no one can ever remove nor erase.”
Wrapping up the monologue in English, he said: “And if you didn’t understand what I just said, you have four months to learn.”
In a statement regarding Bad Bunny’s upcoming performance, Jay-Z, who serves as the NFL’s music strategist via his label Roc Nation’s partnership with the league, said: “What Benito has done and continues to do for Puerto Rico is truly inspiring. We are honoured to have him on the world’s biggest stage.”
Elsewhere, Noem was recently mocked by South Park creators who shared a previously unaired scene of her embarking on a shooting spree in a pet store in an episode from the latest season.
