Bad Bunny could be heard speaking English briefly during his Super Bowl halftime show Sunday night, shouting, “God bless America.” But his usage of the term — heard for decades as the ultimate patriotic American phrase — stirred debate over its context.

The Grammy Award-winning artist, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, invoked the traditionally U.S.-centric phrase toward the end of his performance. 

He then named countries across North, Central and South America — including Chile, Argentina, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Mexico, as well as the United States and Canada — before ending the show by spiking a football that read, “Together, we are America.”

Bad Bunny performs during halftime of the NFL Super Bowl 60 football game between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, California. (Julio Cortez/AP Photo)

BAD BUNNY’S SUPER BOWL HALFTIME SHOW IGNITES TRUMP’S FURY, DIVIDES VIEWERS

The singer’s use of the phrase, “God Bless America,” and performance called on a larger definition of what “America” means and was widely interpreted as a reframe — drawing criticism and applause from media, politicians and others. The show also featured people waving the flags of various countries, including the U.S.

“And also, this is America. Not the United Nations. If you legally immigrate here from another Nation, fine. You’re welcome here,” Texas State Rep. Jeff Leach wrote on X. “But when you become a citizen, you stop flying your native flag, and you fly the American flag. What in God’s name is the NFL thinking?!?!”

“One thing non-Hispanics may not fully grasp is that when Bad Bunny said ‘God bless America’ and listed dozens of countries, he was invoking a very old trope of the Latin American left, which insists Americans arrogantly claimed the name of two continents for ourselves,” one X user noted.

The progressive Headquarters X account, formerly home of the pro-Kamala Harris account KamalaHQ, praised the moment as sending a “message” of love.

Bad Bunny receives the award for Album of the Year at The 68th Annual Grammy Awards, broadcasting live Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026 on the CBS Television Network, and streaming live and on demand on Paramount+. (Stewart Cook/CBS via Getty Images)

LEFT-WING INFLUENCER SPREADS FALSE CLAIM ABOUT BOY AT BAD BUNNY HALFTIME SHOW

The usage of the phrase and his listing of countries from both continents also drew extensive media discussion and analysis.

“He then, however, referenced all the countries in the Americas, not just the United States. It was a pointed message of unity and togetherness,” Mashable wrote.

Forbes contributor Hannah Abraham said the song, “God Bless America,” was an American pastime for sporting events, but Bad Bunny’s interpretation “reimagined” America.

“There’s a long tradition of ‘God Bless America’ being performed at sporting events, particularly the Super Bowl. It’s typically sung in English by artists representing traditional American values and aesthetics,” Abraham wrote. “Bad Bunny’s version — a spoken phrase rather than the song fully sung, delivered in English after an hour of Spanish, followed immediately by a celebration of Latin nations before circling back to ‘USA’ — reimagined what blessing America can look like.”

Bad Bunny performs during halftime of the NFL Super Bowl 60 football game between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, California. (Charlie Riedel/AP Photo)

TURNING POINT USA’S PATRIOTIC SUPER BOWL ALTERNATIVE EARNS PRAISE AS MILLIONS TUNE IN OVER BAD BUNNY

Bad Bunny’s use of the phrase followed months of debate surrounding his relationship with U.S. politics.

Only months before the Super Bowl, during a rendition of “God Bless America,” at a New York Yankees game, Bad Bunny ignited controversy for his refusal to stand. When accepting his 2026 Grammy, he opened by declaring, “Before I say thanks to God, I gotta say, ICE out. We’re not savages. We’re not animals. We’re not aliens. We are humans, and we are Americans… The only thing that is more powerful than hate is love.” The final phrase also appeared on the jumbotron during his halftime show.

Bad Bunny also declined to schedule U.S. tour dates for his 2025-26 concert run out of fear of ICE immigration raids at his shows.

Democrats and White House trade offers as shutdown of Homeland Security looms

By  MARY CLARE JALONICK, KEVIN FREKING and SEUNG MIN KIMUpdated 9:56 PM CST, February 9, 2026

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic leaders said late Monday that a proposal from the White House is “incomplete and insufficient” as they are demanding new restrictions on President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown just days before funding for the Department of Homeland Security is set to expire.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a statement that a White House counterproposal to the list of demands they transmitted over the weekend “included neither details nor legislative text” and does not address “the concerns Americans have about ICE’s lawless conduct.” The White House proposal was not released publicly.

The Democrats’ statement comes as time is running short, with another partial government shutdown threatening to begin Saturday. Among the Democrats’ demands are a requirement for judicial warrants, better identification of DHS officers, new use-of-force standards and a stop to racial profiling. They say such changes are necessary after two protesters were fatally shot by federal agents in Minneapolis last month.

Earlier Monday, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., expressed optimism about the rare negotiations between Democrats and the White House, saying there was “forward progress.”

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Thune said it was a good sign that the two sides were trading papers, and “hopefully they can find some common ground here.”

But coming to an agreement on the the charged issue of immigration enforcement will be difficult, especially as rank-and-file lawmakers in both parties were skeptical about finding common ground.

Republicans have balked at the Democrats’ requests and some have demands of their own, including the addition of legislation that would require proof of citizenship before Americans register to vote and restrictions on cities that they say do not do enough to crack down on illegal immigration.

By Mark Creech, Op-ed Contributor Tuesday, April 09, 2024

There’s a charming old tale about three pastors hailing from the American South who found themselves sharing lunch at a quaint diner.

One of the pastors spoke up, a furrow of concern etched on his brow. “You know, ever since summer descended upon us, I’ve been grappling with a rather vexing issue at my church. Bats — countless bats — have taken up residence in our loft and attic. I’ve exhausted every conceivable method to rid ourselves of them — noise, sprays, traps, even enlisted the help of felines — but alas, they persist.”

A sympathetic nod passed among the trio as another pastor chimed in, his burden carried a similar tone. “Indeed, I share your plight. Our belfry and attic are overrun with bats numbering in the hundreds. I’ve resorted to extreme measures, even resorting to fumigation, yet they remain undeterred in their residency.”

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Then came the third pastor, a twinkle in his eye betrayed a hint of mischief. “Ah, well, I took a rather unconventional approach with the bats that plagued the heights of our church,” he said. “I performed baptisms on them, and since then, they only grace us with their presence during Christmas and Easter.”

Concerns about regular church attendance have always challenged most faith leaders. However, according to a recent Gallup poll, a decline in consistent church attendance is at an all-time low. The survey, conducted from 2021 to 2023 with over 32,000 participants, reveals that only 30% of U.S. adults are steady in their church attendance. Protestant churches and non-denominational groups were among the highest at 44%, while Catholics were at 33%.

Notably, there has been a significant drop over the past two decades, particularly among Catholics, whose regular attendance fell by a whopping 12%. The decline is attributed largely to the rise in Americans with no religious affiliation, which more than doubled from 9% to 21%.