A notorious far-right youth organization is planning to host its own "Super Bowl halftime show" in protest of the real one being given to Puerto Rican singer/rapper Bad Bunny.
According to Axios, Turning Point USA's event "capitalizes on MAGA outrage over the NFL's selection," as Bad Bunny is critical of President Donald Trump and has skipped certain shows in response to Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids. In addition to uproar from Trump voters, Republican lawmakers have jumped in to complain as well, with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) calling the performer "demonic" and complaining that the performance will be in Spanish.
More broadly, the territory of Puerto Rico's status has been a decades-long debate, and while a number of people in both parties have advocated for statehood, Trump and his supporters have often disparaged the island, with a comedian at Trump's Madison Square Garden campaign event last year referring to it as a "floating island of garbage."
For the Turning Point USA "All American Halftime Show," which is advertised as a tribute to "faith, family and freedom" on February 8, a form has been launched online "for people to express interest in music genres, with one of the choices being 'anything in English.' The other options included Americana, classic rock, country, hip hop, pop and worship."
Turning Point USA is the brainchild of activist Charlie Kirk, the controversial youth organizer who was assassinated in September, kicking off a political firestorm across the country.
The group has long faced accusations of racism, and while it began as a mostly secular movement, it has more recently forged ties with Christian nationalism, an extremist movement that believes a generally right-wing interpretation of Biblical law should rule supreme over the U.S. government, culture, and national identity.
