The counterprogramming culture wars have begun. Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point USA has announced that it’s planning its own Super Bowl halftime show, in protest of the NFL’s decision to have Latin music superstar Bad Bunny headline the main event. The so-called All-American Halftime Show will take place on February 8, 2026, the same date as Super Bowl LX.
Conservatives were up in arms after it was announced that Bad Bunny—one of the biggest artists in the world, with more than 80 million Spotify listeners each month, as well as an American citizen from Puerto Rico—would be headlining the Super Bowl halftime show. Speaking to right-wing podcaster Benny Johnson, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem threatened that ICE would be “all over that place” at the Super Bowl, which will be held at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. Noem maintained that she has every intention to “enforce the law.” House Speaker Mike Johnson called booking Bad Bunny “a terrible decision” and offered an alternative: 82-year-old country singer Lee Greenwood, who Johnson said would attract a “broader audience.” (For the record: the “God Bless the USA” singer has less than 450,000 monthly Spotify listeners, roughly 190 times less than Bad Bunny). Even President Donald Trump called Bad Bunny an “absolutely ridiculous” choice to headline the Super Bowl, despite claiming he had “never heard of him.”
As of now, it’s unclear where the All-American Halftime Show will take place or air. On social media, Turning Point USA said, “performers and event details coming soon.” On a website for the event, there’s a survey that asks the public, “What music genres would you like to see featured?” Various options include: “Americana,” “Worship,” and “Anything in English”—seemingly a dig at Bad Bunny, who mostly performs in his native Spanish.
Although Puerto Rico is, again, an American territory, Turning Point USA has decided that Bad Bunny is not American enough to headline the Super Bowl. So, who might they book to compete with the biggest televised music event of the year? Perhaps they’ll reach out to Carrie Underwood, the American Idol winner turned country music star who made the controversial decision to sing at Trump’s inauguration in January. But while her politics may (or may not) align with those of Turning Point USA, Underwood might be reticent to take a stand against the NFL. After all, she famously sings the “Sunday Night Football” opening song. Counterprogramming football’s biggest night would probably jeopardize her bag.
A few weeks ago, Turning Point USA probably would have loved if country rock phenom Zach Bryan headlined the event. Bryan is one of the biggest names in country music at the moment, recently breaking the record for largest ticketed concert ever held in the US with over 112,408 fans attending his concert at Michigan Stadium on September 27, 2025. But he might be a tough sell as well. Last week, Bryan teased the lyrics to his upcoming song “Bad News,” which seemingly criticizes ICE. “I heard the cops came / Cocky motherf–kers, ain’t they? / And ICE is gonna come bust down your door,” he sings in the song, as teased on Instagram. Kristi Noem took Bryan to task for the song, calling it “completely disrespectful.” Bryan, who previously described himself as a “total libertarian,” wrote on his Instagram story that he is “on neither of these radical sides,” and that the song “is about how much I love this country and everyone in it more than anything.” So perhaps Bryan may not be considered conservative enough for Turning Point USA to book him as a headliner.
