Trump Is Too Scared to Go to the Super Bowl After His Aides’ Humiliating Warning
Ewan Palmer
Wed, February 4, 2026
Wed, February 4, 2026
The Daily Beast
Bob Kupbens/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Donald Trump will not be attending the Super Bowl after being warned he would likely be resoundingly booed by the crowd inside the stadium, according to a report.
The thin-skinned president had previously offered the unlikely excuse that he would not attend the NFL championship game between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots on Sunday in Santa Clara, California, because it was “too far away” and because he disliked the planned performers, Bad Bunny and Green Day.
However, several of Trump’s advisers have now told Zeteo that the 79-year-old was urged not to attend the game in the deep-blue Democratic state because he would likely receive a less-than-friendly reception.
Clips of Trump being loudly booed in front of tens of thousands of spectators—and potentially more than 100 million viewers at home—going viral would be “another thing we don’t want right now,” one Trump adviser told Zeteo.
Bob Kupbens/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Donald Trump will not be attending the Super Bowl after being warned he would likely be resoundingly booed by the crowd inside the stadium, according to a report.
The thin-skinned president had previously offered the unlikely excuse that he would not attend the NFL championship game between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots on Sunday in Santa Clara, California, because it was “too far away” and because he disliked the planned performers, Bad Bunny and Green Day.
However, several of Trump’s advisers have now told Zeteo that the 79-year-old was urged not to attend the game in the deep-blue Democratic state because he would likely receive a less-than-friendly reception.
Clips of Trump being loudly booed in front of tens of thousands of spectators—and potentially more than 100 million viewers at home—going viral would be “another thing we don’t want right now,” one Trump adviser told Zeteo.
Donald Trump did not consider last year's Super Bowl in New Orleans
Trump was met with a mixture of boos and cheers when he attended last year’s Super Bowl between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles.
But since then his approval ratings have plummeted across the board, with the president losing support over his handling of the economy and his hardline immigration policies, particularly in the wake of the killing of two U.S. citizens by federal agents in Minneapolis.
Trump’s dire polling numbers, combined with the Super Bowl being held in a state that has overwhelmingly rejected him in the past three presidential elections, led one aide to conclude it was “best to stay away from this one.”
“Whatever [the crowd’s makeup] ends up being, it’s not gonna be a Turning Point USA speech,” the aide said.
Trump told the New York Post last month that he would skip this year’s Super Bowl because he was unhappy that Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny would be performing the halftime show. Veteran punk rockers Green Day, who are also vocal critics of the president, are performing at the Super Bowl opening ceremony.
“I’m anti-them. I think it’s a terrible choice. All it does is sow hatred. Terrible,” Trump said.
Turning Point USA announced that MAGA country singer Kid Rock will headline its “All American Halftime Show,” scheduled to take place at the same time as the official halftime performance from Latin superstar Bad Bunny, who predominantly sings in Spanish.
Bad Bunny was the most-streamed artist in the world on Spotify in 2025, and was the first Latin artist to win album of the year at this year's Grammy Awards. / Matt Winkelmeyer / Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for The Recording AcademyMore
Trump also offered the dubious explanation that he was unwilling to travel to California because it was “just too far away,” despite regularly flying around the world and having attended last year’s Super Bowl in New Orleans.
He told the New York Post that he would be welcomed by the crowd if he dared to go. “They like me,” he said.
White House spokesperson Davis Ingle insisted that Trump would receive a warm welcome if he attended Super Bowl LX in person.
“President Trump is working hard on behalf of the American people,” Ingle told Zeteo. “If he did attend the Super Bowl, he would receive a warm welcome because America knows he has done more to help this country than any other president in history.”
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment.
NFL Sends Muted Warning to Bad Bunny Before Super Bowl Halftime Performance Amid ICE Controversy
Keshav Pareek
Wed, February 4, 2026
February 1, 2026, Los Angeles, California, USA: Bad Bunny on the red carpet of the 68th Annual Grammy Awards on Sunday February 1, 2026 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California.
JAVIER ROJAS/PI Los Angeles US
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell expects Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime show to be a moment of unity despite the singer's recent criticism of the Trump administration's immigration policies.
The stage is set for Bad Bunny to headline the Super Bowl halftime show when the New England Patriots face the Seattle Seahawks on February 8. But just days before the performance, the focus has shifted from football and spectacle to messaging. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell addressed the Puerto Rican superstar after Bad Bunny used the Grammys stage to criticize the Donald Trump administration’s federal immigration enforcement surge, while also making it clear that the league expects the halftime show to be a moment of unity.
“Bad Bunny is one of the great artists in the world. That’s one of the reasons we chose him,” Goodell told reporters. “The other reason is he understood the platform and that this platform is to bring people together with their creativity, with their talents, to be able to use this moment to do that. I think Bad Bunny understands that, and I think he’ll have a great performance.”
Goodell’s comments came against the backdrop of growing tension between Bad Bunny and Trump amid the ongoing ICE controversy. The singer, who topped Spotify’s streaming charts in four of the past six years, has already taken a public stance on the issue. Though there was no explicit warning, the emphasis on unity amidst the rising tension read like a muted warning for the artist.
Earlier last year, the singer said he deliberately avoided performing in the United States on his current world tour, citing concerns that ICE agents could conduct raids on fans attending his shows.
That tension only intensified once the NFL announced Bad Bunny as the halftime performer. Trump quickly dismissed the decision as “absolutely ridiculous” in October 2025. He later doubled down in January by confirming he would not attend the Patriots–Seahawks game. His reasoning was straightforward. The president said he was not a fan of either Bad Bunny or American rock band Green Day, who are set to open the show.
Fast forward to the Grammy Awards, and the situation escalated further. Bad Bunny made history on the awards night by becoming the first Latin artist to win Album of the Year. But the milestone moment also turned into a statement. During his acceptance speech, the 31-year-old openly criticized the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.
“Before I say thanks to God, I’m going to say, ICE out. We’re not savage. We’re not animals. We’re not aliens. We are humans, and we are Americans. I know it’s tough to not hate these days. I was thinking, sometimes we get contaminados [contaminated]. … The hate gets more powerful with more hate.”
On the podium, the artist did not mince his words as a loud applause followed. He ended his speech just as emphatically.
“So please, we need to be different if we fight, we have to do it with love,” the artist added. “If, yeah, we don’t hate them. We love our people. We love our family, and that’s the way to do it. With love. Don’t forget that, please.”
Naturally, that speech sparked immediate questions about whether Bad Bunny would bring similar messaging to the Super Bowl stage. Goodell, however, has made it clear that he does not expect that to happen. The commissioner emphasized that he believes the singer understands the difference between platforms and the responsibility that comes with performing during the most-watched broadcast of the year.
Meanwhile, the NFL has also stated that ICE will not be present at the Super Bowl, seemingly aiming to lower the temperature around an already charged conversation.
The NFL claims that ICE won’t be at the Super Bowl
Amid the ongoing ICE controversy, the NFL has maintained that ICE will not be present at the Super Bowl. The statement came from the league’s Chief Security Officer, Cathy Lanier. Lanier addressed the issue during a security briefing with reporters ahead of the game. Lanier said ICE has no plans to carry out immigration enforcement related to the event.
“There are no planned ICE or immigration enforcement operations that are scheduled around the Super Bowl or any of the Super Bowl-related events,” he said. “The federal presence here is consistent with past Super Bowls, and other sporting events like what you will see around the World Cup and the Olympics as well.”
However, Lanier’s assurance appears to clash with earlier public statements made by officials from the Department of Homeland Security. In October, DHS advisor Corey Lewandowski said on a podcast that the Super Bowl would not serve as a haven for individuals targeted by ICE.
Anonymous NFL player thinks Super Bowl Halftime Show performer ‘should always be an American.’ Bad Bunny is just that
“There is nowhere that you can provide safe haven to people who are in this country illegally,” Lewandowski said. “Not the Super Bowl and nowhere else. We will find you. We will apprehend you. We will put you in a detention facility, and we will deport you.”
That stance stands in contrast to reporting from the Associated Press. The AP noted that DHS official Jeff Brannigan privately told local law enforcement and the NFL that ICE does not plan to conduct enforcement operations in or around the Super Bowl.
Ron Dicker
Tue, February 3, 2026
Immigration and Customs Enforcement is not following through on threats to conduct immigration enforcement operations at Sunday’s Super Bowl, The Washington Post reported Monday.
The newspaper obtained a document from the host committee to elected officials in San Francisco, Santa Clara and San Jose after the committee spoke with NFL security and law enforcement on Friday.
Buzz: Bad Bunny Ribs Fox News Over Super Bowl Outrage During 'SNL'
“We have been in daily contact with the NFL, which has confirmed the following with the Department of Homeland Security: There are no planned ICE immigration enforcement operations associated with SBLX,” the committee’s letter went.
In “coordination with NFL security and local law enforcement, DHS will have federal agents at the Super Bowl to keep fans safe ... federal security presence at SBLX is consistent with past Super Bowls and comparable to how DHS protects other major sporting events like the Olympics and World Cup.”
Sam Darnold of the Seattle Seahawks speaks with the media during Super Bowl LX Opening Night on Monday. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
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In October, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem made veiled threats to those who are not “American” about ICE presence at the big game in Santa Clara, California. The Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots have since advanced to the big game.
“We’ll be all over that place,” she told right-wing journalist Benny Johnson. “We’re gonna enforce the law. So I think people should not be coming to the Super Bowl unless they’re law-abiding Americans who love this country.”
Before that, DHS adviser Corey Lewandowski made a more direct threat when asked if ICE would “have enforcement at the Super Bowl for the Bad Bunny Super Bowl halftime show.”
“There is nowhere that you can provide safe haven to people who are in this country illegally,” Lewandowski replied. “Not the Super Bowl and nowhere else. We will find you. We will apprehend you. We will put you in a detention facility and we will deport you.”
In a statement to HuffPost, DHS said it would not give details of its Super Bowl operation but added, “Those who are here legally and are not breaking other laws have nothing to fear.”
A letter from the Super Bowl host committee, obtained by The Washington Post, says federal agents (right) have no planned operations associated with the big game. Getty
The NFL announcement that Bad Bunny, the Puerto Rican superstar who has been critical of President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, would be performing the halftime show set off a wave of right-wing objections last year.
The rapper fired another salvo at Trump and Co. during the Grammy Awards on Sunday. “Before I say thanks to God, I’m going to say: ICE out,” he said. “We are not savage. We are not animals. We are not aliens. We are humans, and we are Americans.”
DHS agents have received intensified scrutiny after killing two protesters in Minneapolis last month.
Protests even reached the Winter Olympics in Italy when people in Milan demonstrated against ICE’s presence even though the agency will not be deployed in the streets.
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