Bad Bunny used his opening monologue on Saturday Night Live to confront Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s declaration that ICE would be heavily stationed at Super Bowl LX and to celebrate his role as the 2026 halftime performer.
NFL Confirms Bad Bunny as Halftime Headliner
The NFL, Apple Music and Roc Nation officially announced Bad Bunny will star in the Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show at Levi’s Stadium on February 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, California.[1][2]
SNL Season Premiere Highlights
Saturday Night Live premiered its 51st season on October 4, 2025, with Bad Bunny hosting for the second time. His monologue opened by noting, “I’m very happy, and I think everyone is happy about it,” immediately followed by a rapid-fire Fox News montage edited to say, “He should be the next president”.[3][4][5]
Bilingual Tribute to Latino Communities
Bad Bunny addressed Spanish-speaking audiences: “Este logro es para todos nosotros, para los latinos y latinas en el mundo y aquí en Estados Unidos. Nuestra contribución nunca podrá borrarse,” before quipping in English, “If you didn’t understand what I just said, you have four months to learn”.[3]
Noem and ICE Reaction
On a right-wing podcast, Secretary Noem asserted that ICE “will be all over” Super Bowl LX to enforce immigration laws and insisted only “law-abiding Americans” should attend. She warned the NFL “will lie awake at night” over choosing a Puerto Rican artist born in a U.S. territory. Trump adviser Corey Lewandowski echoed that ICE would actively seek and deport unauthorized attendees, even at the championship game.[4][6]
Tour Adjustments Over ICE Concerns
Citing fears of ICE raids, Bad Bunny excluded U.S. dates from his Debí Tirar Más Fotos World Tour. He instead staged a 30-show residency in San Juan, Puerto Rico, which attracted over 600 000 attendees and generated an estimated $200 million boost to the local economy during a traditional low season.[7][8]
Political Satire in Season Opener
The cold open featured Colin Jost lampooning Pete Hegseth’s anti-diversity military speech with the line, “Our military will now have the same rules as any good frat party: no fat chicks. And if you’re a fat dude, you better be funny as hell,” drawing on public reaction to Hegseth’s remarks. James Austin Johnson portrayed Donald Trump, warning SNL to “tread carefully” when criticizing him.[9][10]
Emerging Conservative Counterprogramming
In response to both Bad Bunny’s selection and his SNL remarks, Turning Point USA announced an “All American Halftime Show” to run concurrently with Super Bowl LX, pledging a lineup that “will all be in English” and focus on “faith, family and freedom”.[11]
