Donald Trump issues statement on Super Bowl moments before kick off as president snubs game

With this year's Super Bowl LX extravaganza already underway in San Francisco, Donald Trump has issued a statement on the event that he decided not to attend.

As pre-game musicians were packing away and the New England Patriots stared down favorites the Seattle Seahawks, President Trump decided to finally have his say on Truth Social, after last month telling the New York Post that the game was 'too far' for him to travel.

He also had some harsh criticism for the performers at the biggest event in the NFL calendar, previously saying that he had 'never heard' of Bad Bunny, who will be the first-ever Spanish-language artist to solo headline the all-important halftime show.

The president told the Post: "I think it’s a terrible choice. All it does is sow hatred. Terrible."

But in a more convivial tone as millions of Americans and people from around the world tuned in for the huge event, Trump has since proclaimed: "Enjoy the Super Bowl, America!"

His more upbeat message on Truth Social continued: "Our Country is stronger, bigger, and better than ever before and, THE BEST IS YET TO COME!"

With the hype building before the must-watch event, Trump could not help but stir the pot by seeming to pick a team to win the 60th Super Bowl.

In a direct address to camera, which the White House posted on X, Trump said: "I have a feeling this is going to be a great Super Bowl. I've watched all season I've seen these two teams just win, win, win.

"I see two great quarterbacks, young great quarterbacks. It's going to be a fantastic Super Bowl and everyone wants to hear who I pick, and I tell you what..."

Then in a classic bait and switch, the video cuts to black.

If Trump has been watching the NFL 'all season' while running the largest economy on Earth, it is not clear why he would not want to witness Super Bowl LX, which looks to settle one of the great narratives in recent football history.

The once dominant Patriots, who under Brady and coach Belichick won six championships, have been spinning in the wind in recent years.

But under coach Mike Vrabel and quarterback Drake Maye, the team once branded the ‘evil empire’ has fought its way back into the final after failing to make the playoffs for three straight years.

In addition to snapping up Vrabel, the Patriots have also tried spending their way back to a championship ring this season, outspending every other team by a significant margin.

This season alone, the team has splashed $364 million on fresh talent - roughly $100 million more than the net team.

Meanwhile, the Seattle Seahawks are the bookmakers' favorite, a radical reversal in fortunes from the Patriots' years as the dominant force in the entire NFL.

Their performance this season has seen the Seahawks pull ahead as probably the best team in football, with a strong defense for the Patriots to break through.

But if they do, the New England team will finally hold the title of most Super Bowl titles in the history of the NFL.

Donald Trump and Bad Bunny’s ‘beef’ explained

Bad Bunny has been a vocal critic of President Donald Trump and his policies over the years, particularly regarding immigration and his native Puerto Rico. Let’s take a look at where it all began…

Hurricane Maria devastates Puerto Rico

In 2017, the federal government faced backlash for its slow and disorganised response to the aftermath of the storm, which caused widespread destruction, power outages and thousands of deaths.

During a benefit concert, Bad Bunny donned a T-shirt reading ‘¿Eres Twittero o Presidente?’ which translates to ‘Are You a Tweeter or President?’

Seven years later, he released the track ‘Una Velita’, which appeared to hit out at the Trump administration’s handling of the disaster.

The translated lyrics say: “They let 5,000 people die / And we will never forget that.”

Bad Bunny endorses Kamala Harris

During the run-up to the 2024 US election, Bad Bunny showed his support for Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris.

The musician posted a clip of the vice president’s plans for Puerto Rico not long after comedian Tony Hinchcliffe referred to the territory as a ‘floating island of garbage’ at a Trump rally.

A Trump campaign spokesperson later said: “This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign.”

‘NUEVAYoL’ music video throws shade at Trump

In the music video for ‘NUEVAYoL’, released on the Fourth of July last year, Bad Bunny appeared to take a not-so-subtle swipe at the US president.

Following a shot of a Puerto Rican flag draped on the Statue of Liberty, a voice that sounds suspiciously similar to Trump can be heard saying: “I made a mistake. I want to apologise to the immigrants in America. I mean the United States – I know America is the whole continent.

“I want to say that this country is nothing without the immigrants. This country is nothing without Mexicans, Dominicans, Puerto Ricans, Colombians, Venezuelans, Cubans…”

Bad Bunny skips US on world tour

Bad Bunny opted to leave mainland US out of his world tour due to concerns over ICE following immigration crackdowns amid Trump’s return to office.

“There were many reasons why I didn't show up in the US, and none of them were out of hate,” he told I-D magazine in September. “But there was the issue of – like, [expletive] ICE could be outside [my concert]. And it's something that we were talking about and very concerned about.”

NFL announces Bad Bunny as Super Bowl halftime act

Moments before the Super Bowl announcement, Bad Bunny tweeted in Spanish that after ‘thinking these last few days, I think I'll do one date in the United States’.

In a statement, he said his performance would be for ‘my people, my culture, and our history’.

Despite excitement from fans and the NFL calling the decision ‘carefully thought through’, the move sparked backlash from critics unhappy about a Spanish-speaking artist headlining the biggest American sporting event of the year.

Seemingly forgetting that Puerto Rico is in fact a US territory, one conservative commentator labeled Bad Bunny ‘anti-American’ while petitions to replace him were created, and Turning Point USA, the right-wing organisation founded by the late Charlie Kirk, even announced it would be hosting a rival halftime show.

‘I’ve never heard of him’

Trump also weighed in on the global music icon performing at the Super Bowl, telling Newsmax's Greg Kelly: “I’ve never heard of him.

“I don’t know who he is… I don’t know why they’re doing it. It’s crazy. And then they blame it on some promoter they hired to pick up entertainment — I think it’s absolutely ridiculous.”

Bad Bunny shuts down critics on Saturday Night Live

During his SNL opening monologue in October, Bad Bunny jokingly addressed conservative backlash over his upcoming halftime show.

“You might not know this, but I’m doing the Super Bowl halftime show and I’m very happy,” he said. “I think everyone is happy about it - even Fox News.”

After delivering a heartfelt message in Spanish, he switched back to English and told viewers ‘if you didn’t understand what I just said, you have four months to learn’.

Trumps benches himself from Super Bowl

In January, the POTUS confirmed that he would not be attending the Super Bowl while slamming the performers.

“I’m anti-them. I think it’s a terrible choice. All it does is sow hatred. Terrible,” he told the New York Post of Bad Bunny and Green Day - another longtime critic of his.

However, Trump insisted this was not the reason for his absence, adding that ‘it’s just too far away’.

Bad Bunny calls out ICE in Grammys speech

Bad Bunny made history at the 2026 Grammys by becoming the first artist to win Album of the Year for a Spanish-language release.

He also picked up two other awards and used his time on stage to share a message of hope amid nationwide protests against the actions of ICE.

“Before I say thanks to God, I’m gonna say ‘ICE OUT’. We’re not savage, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens, we’re Americans,” the rapper said, before adding: “The only thing that's more powerful than hate is love.”