Donald Trump skips the Super Bowl and slams the league.
Donald Trump said he will skip next month’s Super Bowl in Northern California and criticized the NFL for choosing performers he believes oppose his political views.
Speaking to the New York Post, Trump said distance played a role in his decision. The game takes place at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, near San Francisco. “It’s just too far away,” Trump said. “I would have gone otherwise.”
But Trump also made clear he dislikes the NFL’s entertainment choices. He took aim at Bad Bunny, the Puerto Rican star set to perform the halftime show, and Green Day, who will perform at the opening ceremony.
“I’m anti-them,” Trump told the Post. “I think it’s a terrible choice. All it does is sow hatred. Terrible.”
Trump attended the 2025 Super Bowl in New Orleans, becoming the first sitting president to do so. He said fans welcomed him at that game.“I’ve gotten great hands for the Super Bowl,” he said. “They like me.”
Trump Blasts Performers As Super Bowl Approaches
The NFL announced Bad Bunny as the halftime performer last September. The artist, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, called the moment a win for Latino culture. “This is for my people, my culture, and our history,” he said at the time.
Bad Bunny previously said he avoided US shows because he feared immigration raids at his concerts. He still agreed to perform at the Super Bowl after the NFL approached him.
That decision upset some MAGA supporters. Conservative activist Robby Starbuck accused the league of pushing politics. On X, he said the NFL “decided to make the Super Bowl political” and claimed the pick would divide fans.
Conservative radio host Dan O’Donnell also attacked the singer. He called Bad Bunny a sellout for skipping U.S. tour dates while accepting the Super Bowl gig.
Trump also criticized Green Day. The band has openly opposed him for years. At Coachella last April, Green Day changed lyrics in “American Idiot” to target the MAGA movement.
Since returning to office, Trump has made several public appearances at major sports events. He attended the US Open final, the Ryder Cup near New York, a Yankees game on Sept. 11, and the Daytona 500. He also showed up at UFC events with Dana White and the college football national championship game in Miami.
The Super Bowl will be played on Sunday, Feb. 8. This weekend’s conference championship games will decide who plays. New England will travel to Denver, while Seattle will host the Los Angeles Rams.
Trump said he could attend future Super Bowls if the situation makes sense. For him, location still matters.
