Jimmy Kimmel didn’t hold back when dissecting Donald Trump’s scathing review of Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime performance.
The late-night host dedicated a significant portion of his Monday night monologue to exposing what he saw as blatant hypocrisy from the former president.
Trump had taken to Truth Social to slam the Puerto Rican superstar’s show, calling it “absolutely terrible” and “disgusting.”
But Kimmel wasn’t buying the moral outrage—not for a second.
Trump’s Harsh Critique of Bad Bunny
During his opening on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the comedian read Trump’s full assessment of the halftime performance. The former president described it as “an affront to the greatness of America” and criticized it as setting a poor example “for young children that are watching from throughout the U.S.A., and all over the World.”
Kimmel immediately seized on the irony.
This is a man who paid off a porn star who spanked him with his own face on a magazine. And he’s offended by the halftime.
The host then pivoted to reference the Epstein files, displaying a heavily redacted document on screen to underscore his point about selective moral standards.
The Alternative Halftime Show Disaster
Turning Point USA’s counter-programming featured Kid Rock as the headline act, attempting to offer what they presumably considered a more “American” alternative. According to Kimmel, it backfired spectacularly.
They might as well have put on the Kristi Noem Shoots-Her-Puppy Bowl because this was not a good program.
The comedian pointed out that even Trump himself apparently skipped the Kid Rock show entirely, choosing instead to watch Bad Bunny’s performance—presumably to fuel his criticism.
Kid Rock’s Lip-Sync Troubles
Kimmel dedicated considerable attention to technical difficulties that plagued the alternative halftime show. The most glaring issue? Kid Rock appeared to be lip-syncing—and doing it poorly.
I guess they had some trouble with the pre-taped audio track because Kid’s lips were not exactly in step with Kid’s music.
The show aired footage of the “American Badass” singer clearly out of sync with his own music, a detail that became central to Kimmel’s broader point about conservative complaints.
The Pattern of Hypocrisy
Kimmel summarized what he saw as a recurring theme in conservative media criticism.
This is it in a nutshell. They complain about how bad everything is, and then they do it worse. And not only do they do it worse, they do it in jorts.
The reference to jorts—jean shorts—was a jab at Kid Rock’s signature fashion choice, adding visual insult to technical injury.
Despite the issues, Turning Point USA reportedly promised another alternative halftime show next year. Kimmel couldn’t resist speculating about future lineups.
Next year it’ll be Lara Trump with a Ted Nugent cover band. They’ve got to do it for the country.
The Language Complaint Contradiction
One particular criticism of Bad Bunny’s performance centered on language comprehension. Many complaints focused on the fact that viewers “can’t understand what he’s saying” since Bad Bunny performs primarily in Spanish.
Kimmel found this reasoning especially absurd given the alternative.
Almost all the complaints about Bad Bunny were ‘you can’t understand what he’s saying.’ So, who do they go to? Kid Rock. An artist whose most popular song is literally gibberish.
He doubled down on the contradiction, pointing out that Kid Rock’s hit “Bawitdaba” features nonsensical lyrics that no one—possibly including Kid Rock himself—fully understands.
You think Donald Trump knows what Bawitdaba means? Kid Rock doesn’t even know what that means!
Technical Failures Beyond Lip-Syncing
Kimmel cataloged multiple failures that plagued Turning Point USA’s production:
- Streaming issues: The broadcast experienced significant technical difficulties
- Rights problems: Apparent licensing complications with music or content
- Audio synchronization: Kid Rock’s vocals clearly didn’t match his mouth movements
The comedian framed these mishaps as emblematic of a larger pattern.
They decided to make their own halftime show and, of course, like everything they do, it was a disaster.
Cultural Commentary Through Comedy
Kimmel’s monologue went beyond simple mockery to make broader observations about cultural divides and selective outrage. By contrasting Trump’s past controversies with his criticism of Bad Bunny, the host highlighted what he perceived as inconsistent moral standards.
The segment resonated because it touched on ongoing debates about representation, language, and what constitutes “appropriate” entertainment. Bad Bunny’s performance celebrated Latinx culture and Spanish-language music on one of America’s biggest stages.
Meanwhile, the alternative show featuring Kid Rock appeared designed to counter that representation with what organizers presumably viewed as more traditionally “American” entertainment—only to fall flat with execution problems.
Kimmel’s takedown worked because it didn’t just criticize Trump’s comments in isolation. It connected them to a pattern of behavior, pointed out logical contradictions in the criticism itself, and used the failed alternative as concrete evidence of hypocrisy.
Jimmy Kimmel Live! airs weeknights at 11:35/10:35c on ABC, where the host continues to blend political commentary with entertainment news in his signature style.