M
oments of collective unity have become rare in the United States. The country is so deeply divided that even mourning no longer brings people together. This was evident in September 2025, after the assassination of ultra-conservative activist Charlie Kirk, or in January with the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, both killed by agents from the Department of Homeland Security. Everything divides. Only the Super Bowl remains. The NFL championship game is the most-watched event on television. At halftime, on February 8, Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny delivered a colorful and joyful musical performance in Spanish, watched by nearly 130 million viewers. Was it greeted with universal acclaim? Not among the nationalist right wing.
US President Donald Trump has often boasted about choosing "80-20" political topics, meaning issues where an overwhelming majority agrees. Yet he launched an attack on Bad Bunny. At a time when the Republican president is losing ground among minorities and 18- to 30-year-olds, Trump opted for an identity-driven stance, politicizing a festive event. Bad Bunny's celebration of Latino culture, amid controversy over police crackdowns on undocumented migrants, sent a subliminal message. The White House crudely showed it had understood that.
