Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime Show Sparks Federal Investigation Threat from GOP Lawmakers
Kenia Medal wears a Bad Bunny flag while waiting to watch the halftime show outside Levi's Stadium during the NFL Super Bowl 60 football game between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (Brontë Wittpenn/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
By Mark Swanson | Tuesday, 10 February 2026 09:17 PM EST
Several Republican lawmakers are calling for a federal investigation into Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime performance, branding it “disturbing,” “illegal,” and inappropriate for a prime-time broadcast watched by millions of families.
Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., announced Monday that he and other Republicans plan to send a letter to the Federal Communications Commission demanding “fines and broadcast license reviews” for the NFL, NBC, and Bad Bunny.
Fine argued the performance crossed legal and moral lines, stating: “Had he said these lyrics — and all of the other disgusting and pornographic filth in English on live TV, the broadcast would have been pulled down and the fines would have been enormous.”
Reports indicate that while suggestive content aired during the show, Bad Bunny did not utter the phrase during his performance.
Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., escalated scrutiny by sending a letter to the House Energy and Commerce Committee seeking a formal inquiry into whether the networks had “prior knowledge, review, and approval” of explicit and indecent material.
Ogles stated that children were forced to endure a performance featuring sexualized dancing and lyrics he described as “openly glorifying” certain sexual activities.
Rep. Mark Alford, R-Mo., compared the show unfavorably to past controversies, calling it “much worse than the Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction.” Speaking on Real America’s Voice, Alford said House Republicans are actively reviewing the performance and that the lyrics were “very disturbing.”
The backlash extended beyond Capitol Hill. Donald Trump Jr. responded after reports labeled the performance as “wholesome,” noting that recent layoffs at a news organization were not nearly enough.
