Bad Bunny vs. Erika Kirk: Belfast/Super Bowl Showdown?
By Ana Lazarut
When Bad Bunny, the most played artist on Spotify in 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2025 [1], was announced to be the Super Bowl Halftime performer for 2026, I was expecting an overwhelming wave of support and excitement to follow. However, in a time as racially and culturally divisive as now, especially in the US, many used this moment to justify their white supremacist concerns regarding the purity of their American nationhood.
Megyn Kelly, an American journalist, exclaimed on Piers Morgan’s show Uncensored, that Bad Bunny singing in Spanish was a “middle finger to the rest of America”. [2]
Jake Paul stated in a later deleted tweet: “Turn off this halftime. A fake American citizen who publicly hates America. I cannot support that”. [3]
And Trump said it was “one of the worst [performances], EVER!” .[4]
This sentiment was shared by the far-right non-profit organization founded by Charlie Kirk, Turning Point USA (TPUSA), whose mission “is to identify, educate, train, and organize students to promote the principles of fiscal responsibility, free markets, and limited government” [5] TPUSA decided to put on their own half-time performance that was truly “All-American” [6] (meaning white), described as “patriotic”, with spokesman for TPUSA Andrew Kolvet stating that a celebration of “faith, family, and freedom” are the core ideals of the show [6]. Yet Kid-Rock, the main draw to the event, with his promotion of the Confederate flag, alongside TPUSA’s tendency to spew misogyny and racism through misinterpretations of the Bible, makes the opposing show one of hate, and not love.
Bad Bunny’s performance, however, was a true celebration of a diverse American culture with a clear mission of love and not hate. Dancers, musicians and actors of all ages had a part in the show, with guest performances by Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin. The performance even included a real wedding! (The truest celebration of love according to TPUSA’s ideals…)
Most notable was the final act of the performance where Bad Bunny exclaims “GOD BLESS AMERICA” and begins listing each country on the continent of America, beginning with Chile and ending with Canada, whilst dozens join him holding their own flags, creating a colourful sea of diversity and pride. Bad Bunny then bears the flag of Puerto Rico whilst the screen behind them lights up with the words:
“THE ONLY THING STRONGER THAN HATE IS LOVE”.
The sentiment is clear – love comes from unity, not division.
Truly, Bad Bunny’s performance is the most American thing to come out of the United States in the past while, with paedophile rings, fascist dictators leading the country, and a violent anti-immigration regime disturbingly resembling the Gestapo being its contenders.
However, TPUSA’s hate-fuelled opposition and mission are no longer focused on the love-promoting and racism-hating Bad Bunny Super Bowl show, as Erika Kirk announced that TPUSA is coming to Northern Ireland. [7]
Turning Point does have its own UK Branch (TPUK), focused on targeting students in Wales, England, and Scotland, making their move to Northern Ireland an anxiously anticipated one. Backed by ex-DUP MP Ian Paisley [7], this move promotes religious division and racism, something that Belfast is no stranger to, and definitely does not need.
But what does this mean for Belfast students?
Will Erika Kirk sit herself in the Ulster University and Queen’s campus, holding debates with students, converting them to her religion of misogyny and racism? [8] Or will Belfast have its own TPUK-sponsored concert promoting the defence of America’s future? [9]
Unfortunately, I fear that this move will divide students and promote an ideology of racism and fundamental Christianity that Belfast does not need.
When I think of Belfast, I think of Bad Bunny marching forward, preaching “love thy neighbour”, promoting a cultural diversity familiar to Northern Ireland. Not of far-right conservative ideologies, which push neighbours against each other.
Turning Point saw Bad Bunny and all he stood for (that being love and unity), decided they were completely opposed to such things, and decided that Belfast would be the appropriate place to practice their hate. How terrifying is that?
As Bad Bunny sings of holding friends and family close before it is too late in the final song of his performance, ‘DtMF’, he dances alongside people of all backgrounds, celebrating hope and possibility for the future. This is a message that I hope is not lost on students in Belfast, as Turning Point’s hateful and violent message reaches us across the Atlantic.
References:
[1] https://newsroom.spotify.com/2025-12-03/wrapped-bad-bunny-top-artist-album/
[2] https://youtu.be/-mlVhRPcwL8?si=wM7T6OAVpvYsAoLb
[3] Jake Paul, X, Screenshot.
[4] Donald Trump, post on Truth Social, https://edition.cnn.com/2026/02/09/politics/trump-bad-bunny-halftime-super-bowl-hnk
[8] https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/sep/11/charlie-kirk-quotes-beliefs
[9] Home page, https://tpusa.com/
