"The NFL is proud to announce that country music star Jason Aldean will be the halftime performer at the 2026 Super Bowl. Jason has announced that he will cap his performance with a special rendition of his megahit, 'Try That in a Small Town.'"
Imagine the fulminations about "racism" and "white nationalism" from the Morning Joe crew if that scenario became reality. The Super Bowl hasn't had a country-music halftime show since 1994.
But when conservatives complain that the NFL actually chose Bad Bunny, an ardent Trump critic and endorser of Kamala Harris? Someone who has refused to perform in the United States because of "f-ing ICE." Someone with a song with lyrics [English translation: all BB songs are in Spanish] that are so sexually explicit and vulgar that it exceeds Cardi B's "WAP"?
Well, that's different. Conservatives are guilty of "snowflakery" and "performative outrage," says Morning Joe.
WILLIE GEIST: Gene Robinson, putting aside the performative outrage, and everybody getting whipped up about a guy who's going to perform for 12 minutes at halftime of the Super Bowl, and the snowflakery that goes along with all that, there's also this idea that there have been these safe havens over this last decade or so, free of politics, generally speaking, entertainment, sports, things like that, where we all get together and cheer together regardless of who you support politically, and now, sort of the long arm of the government even reaching into the Super Bowl.
EUGENE ROBINSON: Yeah, no one is safe, no place is safe from politics these days, from political showmanship. I mean, how many illegal aliens are they going to catch at the Super Bowl, where, it's just ridiculous.
Speaking of "snowflakery" around pro football, it was Willie Geist & Co. who had a cow in 2018 over the NFL requiring players to stand for the national anthem or remain in the locker room. Eddie Glaude compared Trump to Turkish strongman Recep Erdogan. Standing for the national anthem should be an occasion to get together and unite.
If the NFL had wanted to keep the Super Bowl "free of politics," it wouldn't have invited hyper-political Bad Bunny to take center stage. But Willie apparently believes that if the NFL decides to spit in the face of millions of Americans, they should just shut up and take it.
Speaking of performative outrage, there was Mika's segment-ending performance, where she appeared to get choked up [see screencap] while commenting on Corey Lewandowski's statement:
"There is nowhere that you can provide safe haven to people who are in this country illegally. Not the Super Bowl and nowhere else. We will find you."
Mika made a blatantly political pitch in response, saying of Lewandowski's statement:
"That is not what I think where Americans want to be. I hope that bears out at the polls and in the voting booths."
Given that Trump's approach to immigration was one of the keys to his '24 victory, Mika's hope seems unlikely to be fulfilled.
But hey, give it a try! Suggested campaign slogan: "Vote Democrat: We'll Go Easier On Illegal Immigrants!"
Here's the transcript.
MSNBC
Morning Joe
10/3/25
6:37 am EDT
MIKA BRZEZINSKI: A top advisor to President Trump says ICE agents will be at next year's Super Bowl in California after music superstar Bad Bunny was announced to be the halftime show performer. NBC News White House correspondent Gabe Gutierrez reports.GABE GUTIERREZ: He's one of the biggest pop stars in the world, with the most streams on Spotify for three straight years. Bad Bunny is facing mounting MAGA backlash.
COREY LEWANDOWSKI: It's so shameful that they've decided to pick somebody who just seems to hate America so much.
GUTIERREZ: Bad Bunny was just selected to perform at the Super Bowl halftime show, but he's been an outspoken critic of President Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration, recently revealing why he opted not to tour the continental U.S., saying, quote, ICE could be outside my concert.
Now President Trump's Homeland Security Advisor Corey Lewandowski is suggesting there will be immigration agents at the Super Bowl.
BENNY JOHNSON: Will ICE have enforcement at the Super Bowl for the Bad Bunny Super Bowl halftime show?
LEWANDOWSKI: Benny, there is nowhere that you can provide safe haven to people who are in this country illegally. Not the Super Bowl and nowhere else. We will find you.
GUTIERREZ: A DHS spokesperson tells NBC News ICE always supports the highest security events.
. . .
WILLIE GEIST: Gene Robinson, putting aside the performative outrage, and everybody getting whipped up about a guy who's going to perform for 12 minutes at halftime of the Super Bowl, and the snowflakery that goes along with all that, there's also this idea that there have been these safe havens over this last decade or so, free of politics, generally speaking, entertainment, sports, things like that, where we all get together and cheer together regardless of who you support politically, and now, sort of the long arm of the government even reaching into the Super Bowl.
EUGENE ROBINSON: Yeah, no one is safe, no place is safe from politics these days, from political showmanship. I mean, how many illegal aliens are they going to catch at the Super Bowl, where, it's just ridiculous.
. . .
JONATHAN LEMIRE: We should note that Bad Bunny also hosting SNL this weekend for its season premiere. David Drucker, you know, he is political. I actually was mildly surprised in an era where so many big corporations seem to be bending the knee to the White House, that the NFL would go with Bad Bunny to host the Super Bowl halftime show this year.
But to Gene's and Willie's point just now, this is just performative outrage. But we're going to see it also next year at the World Cup sites, the administration has said. They're going to have ICE agents there as well, and they're injecting politics into what should be just a celebration of sport and culture.
DAVID DRUCKER: You know, I think most Americans, if you were to travel the country and talk to them, and I mean most Americans, would say, yeah, I don't know if I like this performer or that performer, but, you know, who really cares? Is their music good? It's a football game. It's a halftime show. And I don't really care as long as their music is good. My biggest complaint is, are you any good if I'm going to have to sit there and listen to you for 30 minutes with a microphone?
. . .
MIKA: Well, my takeaway from watching this just play out, this segment, and listening to some of the sound that we played is, I mean, it is really jarring and disturbing to see, and I'm going to continue to be jarred by this and not become inured to it. But it is jarring and disturbing to see somebody from Department of Homeland Security reveling in the policy that has been in place.
It is their policy, I have to respect that, but the coarseness and the cruelty of reveling in a policy. To hear these people from Homeland Security saying, we will come and find you, we will track you down, we will run you down, and relishing the concept of plucking migrants off the street and throwing them into cars, and loving that, and just enjoying talking about it and enjoying engaging in the threats of it all.
That is not what I think where Americans want to be. I hope that bears out at the polls and in the voting booths, but it is hard to watch. I don't know anybody who would support enjoying that act, whether it's the policy or not. It is really, really sad and cruel and painful for these people.
