NEW POLL - Democrats and Independents Say that Bad Bunny Represents the U.S. Better than Trump: And Republicans?

A growing number of Americans believe Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny represents the United States better than President Donald Trump, according to a new poll released Friday by Yahoo and the research firm YouGov. The findings underscore how the artist's Super Bowl LX halftime performance has evolved from a pop culture moment into a sharply politicized national debate.

The survey, conducted days after Bad Bunny headlined the Super Bowl halftime show, found that 42 percent of respondents said the artist better reflects the values of the United States, compared with 39 percent who chose Trump. The remaining respondents were undecided or selected neither.

The divide becomes more pronounced along partisan lines. Among Democrats, 78 percent viewed Bad Bunny favorably, while just 7 percent expressed a negative opinion. Republicans showed the opposite trend, with 70 percent rejecting the artist and only 12 percent supporting him. Independent voters leaned toward Bad Bunny as well, with 46 percent saying he represents the country better, compared with 27 percent who chose Trump.

The poll highlights how the Super Bowl performance, the first halftime show delivered almost entirely in Spanish, has become a proxy for broader arguments about immigration, national identity and cultural representation.

Trump was among the most vocal critics of the show. Writing on his Truth Social platform, the president called the performance "absolutely terrible" and "one of the worst in Super Bowl history." He added that it was "an affront to the greatness of the United States" and claimed it failed to meet the country's standards of "success, creativity and excellence."

Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, has repeatedly criticized Trump's immigration policies and has used his platform to speak out against mass deportations and the treatment of migrants. His selection as the Super Bowl headliner reignited those tensions, particularly after he closed his set with a message invoking unity across the Americas, naming countries throughout the continent and reframing the phrase "God Bless America" as a collective expression rather than one limited to the United States alone.

That moment resonated with many viewers. According to the poll, 60 percent of respondents approved of the closing message, and 44 percent supported the decision to feature Bad Bunny as the halftime performer. Only 35 percent opposed his selection. Just 11 percent said it was inappropriate for the show to be performed primarily in Spanish.

The political fallout extended beyond Trump. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican, has previously criticized Bad Bunny over cultural issues, including his use of Spanish in high profile U.S. events. After the Super Bowl backlash intensified, however, Greene surprised some observers by urging fellow Republicans to drop calls for investigations into the performance and focus instead on issues like health care costs. "There are more important things," she said in comments that framed the controversy as a distraction from voters' everyday concerns.

On the other side of the aisle, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has long aligned herself more closely with the themes Bad Bunny has championed. Ocasio-Cortez has praised Spanish language visibility in U.S. culture and has criticized what she describes as xenophobic reactions to Latino representation. While she did not comment directly on the poll, her past statements opposing Trump's immigration agenda and defending multicultural expression echo many of the sentiments expressed by Bad Bunny's supporters.

Asked about Trump's comments about the Puerto Rican star's presentation in the Super Bowl, AOC had a fiery retort. "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," said Trump.

"I barely know what Trump is saying half the time, so I feel him," she replied.

The survey also reflects how entertainment and politics have become increasingly intertwined. What began as a halftime show has sparked debates in Congress, on cable news and across social media about who gets to define American values in a multilingual, multicultural country.

With a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points, the poll surveyed 1,704 adults nationwide. While it does not settle the debate, it makes one point clear: Bad Bunny's Super Bowl appearance has transcended music, placing the artist at the center of a cultural and political conversation that continues to divide, and define, the nation.

Originally published on Latin Times

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Bad Bunny, Trump, Super bowl