Tim Miller: MAGA’s Bad Bunny Freakout Means They're Losing Control - Bulwark Takes

Summary5 min read

Bulwark Takes: “MAGA’s Bad Bunny Freakout Means They're Losing Control”

Host: Tim Miller (with guest Nicole Wallace)

Date: September 30, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Tim Miller and Nicole Wallace examine the MAGA reaction to Bad Bunny being chosen as the 2026 Super Bowl halftime performer. They argue that the conservative backlash reveals a deeper anxiety on the right: a desire not just for political wins but for cultural dominance—and frustration when cultural trends don’t follow suit. The episode explores how this latest “freakout” fits into historic patterns of culture war, what it says about Republican expectations, and why Bad Bunny’s presence is a sign of shifting American culture.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

MAGA’s Cultural Expectations vs. Reality

MAGA Belief in Cultural Hegemony:
Tim Miller opens by noting that the 2016 Trump victory was seen by many MAGA supporters not only as a political win, but as a “cultural victory” that would give them control over American cultural institutions.
- “They expect now cultural hegemony over the rest of the country, and they're not getting it. And in some ways, that's a good sign, and that's powerful.” – Tim Miller [00:24]
Cultural Backlash:
The MAGA “panic attack” over Bad Bunny as the halftime act is framed as further evidence that their vision of cultural dominance is failing.
- “A bunch of old white guys whining about Bad Bunny.” – Tim Miller [00:46]

The Power and Message of the Super Bowl Halftime Choice

Bad Bunny’s Appeal and Global Reach:
Nicole Wallace highlights Bad Bunny as an artist with both popularity and moral clarity, noting his outspoken critiques of Trump-era policies.
- “I think they picked one of the great artists of our time … Bad Bunny also happens to be sort of an honorable and a clear and a moral center in speaking out against the Trump administration …” – Nicole Wallace [02:21]
NFL’s Strategic Motivation:
The NFL’s selection is discussed as an attempt to broaden Super Bowl appeal globally, not as a calculated political statement.
- “The NFL wasn't thinking about politics at all … They're trying to expand globally … why not bring in one of the biggest superstars on the globe … and try to appeal to the broad global market as opposed to merely just like the angry white guy living in the south market.” – Tim Miller [03:18]

The Illusion of Cultural Domination

Why the Tantrum?
Nicole Wallace explores MAGA’s assumption that political victory should equal cultural dominance, and their confusion and anger when the two don’t align.
- “They know it. They believe they won culture because they think culture can be dominated the way the Republicans in Congress can be dominated. But that's not how culture works.” – Nicole Wallace [04:24]
Shifting Coalitions and the Manosphere:
She notes a split within the right, with the “manosphere” drifting away from Trump’s coalition, and that Trump’s approval ratings have stagnated.
- “The manosphere has drifted away from them, and they have made inroads into culture … but they're not dominant.” – Nicole Wallace [04:41]
- “Trump has his approval rating … He doesn't crack 40.” – Nicole Wallace [04:58]

The Broader Stakes of the “Culture War”

Desire for Silence and Conformity:
Tim points out that MAGA’s anger isn’t just about losing; it’s a desire to silence dissent and return culture to a whitewashed version of the past.
- “She wants us to be silent, right? … It's not just winning the election. That's not good enough.” – Tim Miller [05:28]
- “They want … the movies to go back to how they were before, and all the mermaids to be white again and princess. That's what they wanted out of this election.” – Tim Miller [05:45]
Cultural Pushback as a Ballast to Political Power:
The hosts agree that while Trump still wields influence over governmental levers, his hold over culture is slipping—visible in reactions like the NFL’s choice and pop-culture pushbacks.
- “This need to feel like they need to dominate everything … is a sign of … the weakening grip of where they thought they would be right now, at least on that side of things. Obviously, he has a pretty strong grip on the more governmental side of things.” – Tim Miller [06:44]
- “He is an autocrat's clenched fist around the Department of Justice, but culture, not so much.” – Nicole Wallace [06:48]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Tim Miller on Cultural Diversity:
“That's kind of the great part of America … that we're like the Salman Gundi of cultures and attitudes and views.” – [01:27]
Nicole Wallace on Bad Bunny’s U.S. Popularity:
“I think Bad Bunny tops Taylor Swift in terms of downloads on Spotify. So, I mean, Bad Bunny is huge, huge, huge here. And in terms of American exports, I think he's as big as they get.” – [04:20]
The Mad Men Reference:
“There's that old Mad Men line in the elevator. And the guy looks at Don and says, I hate you. And Don looks at him and says, I don't think about you at all. I think that was the NFL's policy towards Trump.” – Tim Miller [02:48]
On Megyn Kelly’s Culture War Rhetoric:
“I got in that little Internet tip with Megyn Kelly … one of the things she said to me is that we are going to defeat you. Which is like a kind of crazy thing to say, just in general.” – Tim Miller [05:08]

Timestamps for Key Segments

[00:00–02:15] – Tim Miller introduces the MAGA Bad Bunny “panic” and frames it as a telling cultural moment.
[02:15–04:08] – Nicole Wallace and Tim Miller discuss Bad Bunny’s popularity, his activism, and the NFL’s strategic motives.
[04:08–05:05] – Discussion of the culture war mindset among Trump supporters and their assumptions about cultural dominance.
[05:05–06:48] – Reflections on right-wing coalition splits, the desire for cultural conformity, and the symbolic meaning of the Bad Bunny backlash.

Final Takeaway

The episode argues that the conservative uproar over Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl gig is less about the artist himself and more about a broader refusal to accept a diverse, pluralistic American culture. The hosts suggest that MAGA’s attempts to control popular culture are floundering, and that cultural pluralism is proving resilient even as political polarization intensifies.

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Transcript10 lines

[00:00]
A
Hey, everybody. Tim Mo from the Bulwark here. What's on with Nicole Wallace? And we are discussing the MAGA panic attack over Bad Bunny being named the halftime show host of the Super Bowl. And, you know, look, we'll keep this a quick one. There's a lot of weightier issues out there for us to cover. But as we get into, I do think it's telling about, you know, kind of the culture war. Part of this fight where the MAGA side really saw Trump's win is not just a political victory, but a cultural one. And they expect now cultural hegemony over the rest of the country, and they're not getting it. And in some ways, that's a good sign, and that's powerful. And it's maybe as powerful. I don't want to overstate it. It's an important ballast against Trump's political power. Pushing back on them culturally, having people feel like they're out of step culturally. A bunch of old white guys whining about Bad Bunny. I don't know about you guys, listeners. I'm sure some of you don't listen to Bad Bunny. I went to a Bad Bunny show last year in New Orleans almost as a cultural experience, because I recognized that that was something that kind of hadn't pierced my bubble really that much. And I thought it'd be interesting. And it was. It was like I was at the Smoothie King center, and New Orleans, a small town. I bump into people all the time. I, like, didn't really bump into anybody I knew. It was kind of like a different audience. No, I found out later a couple of my pals were there just on the other side of the other side of the stadium. So, you know, sometimes maybe your bubble isn't quite as tight as you think it is, but, you know, when it comes to this, to Bad Bunny in particular, like, I get that, like, if you're. If you're thinking, man Amer, like, this is the super bowl act, like, maybe I'm not as in touch with America, but that's kind of the great part of America. It's the beautiful part of America, is, like, that there's all this stuff happening out there and that we're like the Salman, Salman Gundi of. Of cultures and attitudes and views. And this is one that doesn't hit Trump's core base, but it does hit a lot of people that voted for Trump. And so this tantrum, a panic attack, once again, kind of isolates them from that broad coalition, from what they thought that they were going to Get. So anyway, I get into this more with Nicole. We don't need to belabor the point. Stick around.
[02:16]
B
I don't know what the NFL.
[02:20]
A
Thought.
[02:21]
B
I think they picked one of the great artists of our time and they picked someone wildly popular. But Bad Bunny also happens to be sort of an honorable and a clear and a moral center in speaking out against the Trump administration, both in its treatment of Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria and in its current brutal and harsh immigration policies.
[02:48]
A
Yeah, there's that old Mad Men line in the elevator. And the guy looks at Don and says, I hate you. And Don looks at him and says, I don't think about you at all. I think that was the NFL's policy towards Trump. I think the Trump people, as you mentioned, the very fragile Trump boys who are upset and thought that whoever the biggest Trump star would be, it's hard to even come up with who that would be. But I thought they would have a more favorable guest and a more dominant culture right now. And they thought that when they won the election, that meant that they won everything and they get to run roughshod over everybody. I do think that is part of their, their worldview, as warped as that is. And the NFL wasn't thinking about politics at all. I mean, I'm sure they had somebody vet what he had said about ice. We can talk about that in a second. But I think what the NFL was doing was saying, hey, we're trying to expand globally. They had a game in Ireland this weekend. They're trying to get in Brazil recently. They're trying to have games all over the world. And so why not bring in one of the biggest superstars on the globe to come and do the halftime show and try to appeal to the broad global market as opposed to merely just like the angry white guy living in the south market. Nothing wrong with that. I'm a white guy living in the South. Bad Bunny's not my fan. I'm not spending Bad Bunny that often. So I understand why they feel disconnected from it. But I also understand why the NFL might not be micro targeting me.
[04:08]
B
Well, but in this country, I think Bad Bunny tops Taylor Swift in terms of downloads on Spotify. So, I mean, Fat Bunny is huge, huge, huge here. And in terms of American exports, I think he's as big as they get. I think what your first point though, is so interesting about culture. They won the election and they know it. They believe they won culture because they think culture can be dominated the way the Republicans in Congress can be dominated. But that's not how culture works. And if you listen, and I know you pay really close attention to the manosphere, they're slipping. You know, if they're sort of like boats that were anchored together, you know, the manosphere has drifted away from them, and they have made inroads into culture in ways that the Republicans you and I work for really never did. But they're not dominant. They have. Trump has his approval rating. I looked at every poll I could find. He doesn't crack 40.
[05:05]
A
Yeah, no doubt about that. And so just on both points and their feelings, that wanting to dominate culture, I mean, you've seen this over the last few weeks. And I got in that little Internet tip with Megyn Kelly, like, one of the things she said to me is that we are going to defeat you. Which is like a kind of crazy thing to say, just in general. But that was her point. It was like, broadly everywhere, right? Like, we want your people anti Trump people, pro democracy.
[05:26]
B
Why is she so obsessed with you?
[05:29]
A
I don't know. It's very strange. But she wants us to be silent, right? It's not just like, not just winning the election. That's not good enough. Right. Silent. And I think that they want, you know, the universities to cave to them. Right. We've seen those across everything. Like, that's what they want. The movies to go back to how they were before, and all the mermaids to be white again and princess. That's what they wanted out of this election. It was like, not because Trump wasn't really about policy, a couple policies, the border tariffs. But mostly it was about this cultural feeling that they were being oppressed. And so this upsets them when they haven't won again. And I do just. Back to the manosphere. I do think that that puts them. That's only part of the coalition that cares about that. Right. It's the most fragile part of the MAGA coalition. Some of these guys that came on board late, I've been really. I've been on a lot of flights lately, so I've been binging on their podcasts. You know, it feels kind of weird to them. You know, it's like, why do you care about this so much? Like, this isn't about you. And, you know, they wasn't a bad bunny. Like you said, he's very popular. So I do think in some ways like this, this need to feel like they need to dominate everything that's being pushed back on by south park and now by the NFL and other. Other places is a sign of. You're kind of the weakening grip of where they thought they would be right now, at least on that side of things. Obviously, he has a pretty strong grip on the more governmental side of things.
[06:49]
B
Right. He is an autocrat's clenched fist around the Department of Justice, but culture, not so much. Tim Miller, thank you very much for joining us on this.