Stephen A Smith: ‘Would have been nice’ if Bad Bunny performed in English

All things considered, there may be no one with a truthfully honest review of the Super Bowl halftime show, its critics, and its praise more than Stephen A. Smith.

The ESPN mogul, who has been critical of President Donald Trump, said up front that he would not give an assessment of Bad Bunny solely to oppose conservatives like “anti-Trump and anti-right” folks.

“That ain’t me, I don’t give a damn. I’m fair-minded, down the middle,” Smith said on his self-titled show.

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Bad Bunny performs at the Apple Music Halftime Show during the NFL Super Bowl LX football game between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots, at Levi’s Stadium on Feb. 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, California. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)

Smith said Bad Bunny’s performance was “a damn good show,” and “the vibe was fly.” However, he did agree with Trump and other conservatives about how the show was almost entirely in Spanish.

“Here’s my only reticence: You’re in the United States of America and you perform damn-near an entire performance in Spanish …” Smith said, adding that Trump made a “legitimate point” about the lack of English. “If you didn’t understand Spanish, you were lost.”

“Would have been nice to see a few people celebrating the Hispanic heritage, no doubt,” Smith continued, name-dropping Shakira and Jennifer Lopez. “But it also would have been nice if some of the songs were in English. That’s all. But it was still a good show.”

Bad Bunny performs during halftime of the NFL Super Bowl LX football game between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

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Smith teased a reaction to Bad Bunny when he posted a screenshot of Trump’s Truth Social post where he blasted Bad Bunny’s performance as “one of the worst, EVER!”

“The Super Bowl Halftime Show is absolutely terrible, one of the worst, EVER! It makes no sense, is an affront to the Greatness of America, and doesn’t represent our standards of Success, Creativity, or Excellence. Nobody understands a word this guy is saying, and the dancing is disgusting, especially for young children that are watching from throughout the U.S.A., and all over the World,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. 

“This ‘Show’ is just a ‘slap in the face’ to our Country, which is setting new standards and records every single day — including the Best Stock Market and 401(k)s in History! There is nothing inspirational about this mess of a Halftime Show and watch, it will get great reviews from the Fake News Media, because they haven’t got a clue of what is going on in the REAL WORLD — And, by the way, the NFL should immediately replace its ridiculous new Kickoff Rule. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president would be watching Turning Point USA’s “All-American” halftime show.

Bad Bunny’s performance is speculated to be the most-watched halftime performance ever with more than 135 million viewers, but an official number has not yet been posted.

Bad Bunny performs during halftime of the NFL Super Bowl LX football game between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, California. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

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The show concluded with a message on the Levi’s Stadium video board that read, “The Only Thing More Powerful Than Hate Is Love.” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Bad Bunny shared an embrace in the bowels of Levi’s Stadium after the performance.

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