Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel took aim at liberals during his monologue Monday night, questioning what he described as a sudden surge in support for singer Bad Bunny surrounding the Super Bowl halftime show, as reported by The New York Post.
During his show, Kimmel addressed the reaction to Bad Bunny’s halftime performance and referenced criticism coming from different political angles.
He called the Turning Point USA halftime show a “disaster,” but made clear he was not interested in framing the debate as a partisan showdown between performers.
“And listen, I’m not jumping on the ‘bash Kid Rock’ bandwagon. I don’t like what he says either, but he’s talented. I’ve seen him perform; he puts on a fun show. I don’t want to get into that. This is not Kid Rock versus Bad Bunny — I mean, think about how dumb that sounds. This is not that. You can like one of them, you can like the other, you can like neither, you can like both,” Kimmel said.
Kimmel then turned his attention to what he described as a broader cultural pattern, suggesting that political identity now influences reactions to entertainment.
“This is about the fact that everything has to be something now. We have to take a side on everything,” Kimmel said.
He specifically referenced what he characterized as newfound enthusiasm among liberals for the Puerto Rican artist.
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“This week, almost every liberal I know is suddenly really into Bad Bunny,” he continued.
“I mean, people I’ve never heard say the words ‘bad’ or ‘bunny’ in their lives are like, ‘I can’t wait for Bad Bunny!’ Oh, what’s your favorite Bad Bunny song? ‘I don’t know, but I love him. I love Bad Bunny.'”
Bad Bunny’s halftime performance was delivered almost entirely in Spanish, prompting mixed reactions online and across media platforms.
Kimmel acknowledged he did not understand every word performed during the show, but argued that it was not relevant to the event.
Jimmy Kimmel concedes liberals are pretending to be Bad Bunny fans simply to oppose Trump. Rare win. You don’t see Jimmy tell the truth very often. “This week, almost every liberal I know suddenly really into Bad Bunny—people I’ve never heard say the words Bad or Bunny in their… pic.twitter.com/qJls2HYm2p
— Vigilant Fox 🦊 (@VigilantFox) February 10, 2026
“But that’s the point! It doesn’t matter. It’s the halftime show at a football game. I don’t know all the words. I don’t know all the words to any song. I don’t even know the words to songs I know all the words to,” he said.
“So stop with this. This is not about excluding people; it’s the opposite of that. English has had a lot of ‘at-bats’ over the last 60 years of Super Bowls.”
President Donald Trump also weighed in on the halftime performance, offering sharp criticism in a post on Truth Social Sunday night.
“The Super Bowl Halftime Show is absolutely terrible, one of the worst, EVER! It makes no sense, is an affront to the Greatness of America, and doesn’t represent our standards of Success, Creativity, or Excellence,” Trump wrote.
“Nobody understands a word this guy is saying, and the dancing is disgusting, especially for young children that are watching from throughout the U.S.A., and all over the World,” he added.
The halftime performance sparked debate across social media and television commentary, with reactions split between praise for the cultural representation and criticism over language, content, and presentation.
Kimmel’s remarks reflected how the show quickly became part of a broader political and cultural discussion following Sunday’s Super Bowl broadcast.
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