Halftime Headliner Hates Half the Country-Expanding the Audience or Losing America?

Summary

The 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson

Episode: Halftime Headliner Hates Half the Country — Expanding the Audience or Losing America?

Date: February 9, 2026
Host: Ben Ferguson (Premiere Networks)
Guests: Senator Ted Cruz, co-host

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Episode Overview

This episode centers on the controversy following Super Bowl 60’s halftime show, headlined by Bad Bunny, and the political and cultural divide it highlighted. Ben Ferguson, Senator Ted Cruz, and a co-host break down the halftime performance’s political overtones, discuss the popularity of Turning Point USA’s alternative patriotic show, assess the financial realities for entertainers and athletes in California, and reflect on the broader concerns of American unity and values in pop culture.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Super Bowl Halftime Show Controversy (00:28 – 08:45)

• Main Criticism:
  The hosts detail Bad Bunny’s political activism, especially his outspoken opposition to ICE, support for Black Lives Matter, endorsement of Kamala Harris, and criticism of Donald Trump. They note the NFL's decision to book Bad Bunny, despite his repeated critiques of American immigration policy and his refusal to perform in English.

  • Notable Coverage of Bad Bunny's Political Actions:

    • Criticized ICE at the Grammy Awards and on Instagram.
    • Refused to tour the U.S. in 2025 due to concerns about immigration enforcement.
    • Used his platform to support progressive causes and criticize Donald Trump.

  • Hosts’ Argument:
    The NFL prioritized expanding its audience over representing traditional American values, putting “a performer who says ‘F the President of the United States’” on the world stage.

• Turning Point USA Alternative Halftime Show:

  • Millions (over 5 million, per the episode) reportedly chose to watch Turning Point USA’s patriotic halftime broadcast as an alternative to NBC’s official show.
  • This split highlights the polarization surrounding pop culture events.

• Donald Trump’s Response:

  • Presented as echoing the hosts’ outrage:

    "The Super Bowl halftime show is absolutely terrible, one of the worst ever... a slap in the face to our country..."
    — Donald Trump (quoted by Ben Ferguson, 08:15)

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2. Detailed Critique of Bad Bunny’s Politics and Performance (02:58 – 08:45)

• Protracted Example of Political Messaging:

  • Examples are given of Bad Bunny’s previous remarks, e.g., calling Trump “President of racism,” supporting riots, and making anti-law enforcement comments.
  • The hosts emphasize his refusal to sing in English and insistence that Americans should “learn Spanish” for his performances.

• NFL’s Position:

  • Despite controversy, Commissioner Roger Goodell stands by the decision, calling it "a united moment for America..." (Paraphrased by Ben Ferguson, 08:30).

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3. Audience and Reaction: Outrage or Indifference? (09:51 – 13:26)

• Senator Ted Cruz’s Take:

  • “If you didn't understand a word he was saying in the super bowl. Yeah, that was on purpose. It’s part of his anti-America, hate-us-all agenda.”
    — Ted Cruz (10:01)
  • Suggests the language barrier was intentional — a feature of “anti-American” activism.

• Co-host’s Nuanced Reaction:

  • Admits personal indifference:

    “I just found myself not caring. Like, I know that there were a lot of folks all worked up… but, you know, I watched him like in the sugar cane and dancing around. I think most of the halftime shows are kind of silly.”
    — Co-host (11:00)

  • Acknowledges his daughters are fans, but overall doesn’t connect with this or most halftime acts.

• Lighthearted Moments:

  • Co-host relieved Bad Bunny didn’t wear a dress as rumored:

    “At least… I was glad. The early promo said Bad Bunny was going to wear a dress. He didn’t wear a dress. At least not that I saw. So, small victory.”
    — Co-host (13:08)

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4. Economic Fallout: California Taxes and Super Bowl Payouts (13:26 – 17:18)

• California’s Steep Taxes:

  • Athletes, like super bowl participant Sam Darnold, end up losing money due to California’s high income taxes despite six-figure bonuses.
  • Example:

    “He’s going to receive $178,000 as a bonus... but will pay $249,000 in taxes to California... Meaning he will lose $71,000.”
    — Co-host (14:31)

• Impact on Entertainers and Performers:

  • Senator Cruz and the co-host discuss how these tax rates drive athletes, musicians, and comedians to avoid California as a venue.
  • Jokes about Bad Bunny:

    “I think Bad Bunny changed his name. He's now Sad Bunny because California took all his money.”
    — Co-host (15:32)

  • Comedians similarly avoid California for “real” financial reasons.

• Comparison with Texas:

  • Texas highlighted as a tax-friendly alternative:

    “When you play the Superbowl in Texas, we don’t tax you a penny and you get great tax backs.”
    — Co-host (17:06)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Halftime Show’s Message:

  “This show is just a slap in the face to our country, which is setting new standards and records every single day.”
  — Donald Trump (quoting from Truth Social, 08:15)

• On Audience Split:

  “More than 5 million Patriots decided they weren’t going to watch the halftime show on NBC of the super bowl and instead they decided to watch one that celebrated America.”
  — Ben Ferguson (00:49)

• Light-hearted Banter:

  “At least…I was glad. The early promo said Bad Bunny was going to wear a dress. He didn’t wear a dress…So, small victory.”
  — Co-host (13:08)

• On California Taxes:

  “You only lost $71,000 for stepping foot in the Commonwealth of California instead of losing $135,000. And what kind of insanity is it that that's how the California tax system is?”
  — Co-host (15:04)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:05–00:28: Trump on border policy, introduction
• 00:28–08:45: Recap and critique of Super Bowl halftime show, Bad Bunny’s activism
• 08:45–13:26: Audience response, Turning Point USA's show, co-host’s perspective
• 13:26–17:18: California tax discussion, financial consequences for athletes/performers
• 17:18–17:35: Sign-off and promo

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Takeaways

• The episode paints Bad Bunny’s halftime performance as symptomatic of broader cultural and political divides, with the NFL accused of sacrificing tradition for audience expansion.
• Political activism in pop culture continues to spark fierce debate, particularly when it intersects with sporting events of national significance.
• Economic realities in California for entertainers and athletes highlight deeper trends of migration and fiscal discontent.
• The show offers a mix of sharp political critique, lighthearted banter, and economic analysis, in keeping with the hosts’ conservative, sarcastic tone.

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For listeners seeking insights into the intersection of politics, pop culture, and economics — filtered through a conservative lens — this episode offers a provocative, spirited recap of Super Bowl 60’s most controversial moments.

Transcript

[Podcast Announcer]

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[Donald Trump]

You can't have 14 million foreign nationals running around unsupervised. And that's exactly what the Democrats supported. That's the height of irresponsibility. We're gonna be paying for that for the next 20 years. That Biden open border was the worst policy decision in history by a sitting president. The worst.

[Ben Ferguson]

You're listening to the 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Good Monday morning. Nice to have you with us on the 47 Morning Upd. The Super bowl happened, but the real story was what happened at halftime as there were two different options for Americans. Turning Point USA putting on their patriotic super bowl alternative. And it earned praise as millions tuned in over Bad Bunny. The president also giving his thoughts on the halftime performance, that if you didn't understand Spanish, you couldn't understand a word that was being said. Plus, in another shocking story, it's amazing just how much money you can lose by playing in the super bowl if it's in California. Senator Cruz and I talk about that plus the halftime show and why so many people are getting out of California as fast as they possibly can. It's the 47 Morning Update and it starts right now. More than 5 million Patriots decided they weren't going to watch the halftime show on NBC of the super bowl and instead they decided to watch one that celebrated America. Turning point USA's All American halftime show won the super bowl for many Americans. And why? Well, from bashing Black Lives Matter and Kamala to bashing ice, Super Bowl 60 starred Bad Bunny's history of left wing activists and saying what they like to say the most. F Donald Trump. That's exactly why there was another option this Super Bowl Sunday. With sports fans usually getting excited about the halftime show. This year was very different. Why? Because of the left wing political activism in this year's game, especially from halftime show star Bad Bunny, who has a long history of leftist activism. The Puerto Rican pop star's latest dive into woke politics was his appearance at this year's Grammy Awards where he launched into an anti ice tirade from the stage as he collected the best album award that he received. And he was very excited about it. He wanted to say this before he even thanked God as he described it, for his award.

[Ben Ferguson's Co-host]

Before I say thanks to God, I'm gonna say eyes out.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

That got him a standing ovation from so many that were there. He went on to say ice out. We're not savages, we're not animals. We are humans and we are Americans. That was not the first time. The rapper, whose real name is Benito, has worked to undermine American immigration laws. For instance, he so strongly opposed US Immigration laws, they refused to perform any shows in the US during his 2025 concert tour, which actually in many ways made him more money by Those outside the U.S. quote, People from the U.S. could come here to Puerto Rico to see the show. Latinos and Puerto Ricans of the United States could also travel here or in any part of the world, he told ID Magazine in 2025. But there was that issue. ICE could be outside my concerts, and it's something that we were talking about and very concerned about. Later that night, in Spanish, he dedicated his award to all the people who had to leave their homeland, their country, to follow their dreams. He also instilled his love for destructive, wide open borders in one of his songs. In the music video for his song, Mad Bunny placed a Puerto Rican flag over the forehead of the Statue of Liberty and then featured a Trump impersonator's voice saying, I made a mistake. I want to apologize to the immigrants in America. I want to say that this country is nothing without the immigrants. This country is nothing without Mexicans, Dominicans, Puerto Ricans, Colombians, Venezuelans, Cubans. If you want to know who his audience is, he pretty much just named it right there. In addition, the rapper attacked ICE in June of last year on Instagram after immigration officers were seen taking illegals into custody in one part of the country. Bad Bunny ripped ICE on his Instagram account, saying in Spanish that those mother effers are in these cars. Rav fours. They're here. Sons of blanks. Instead of letting the people alone and working. Bad Bunny was also a huge supporter of Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election and endorsed the former Vice president at the time previous to 2004 election, he formally allowed Joe Biden to use his music at Biden rallies back in 2020. And then you can go back to Black Lives Matter. Speaking of the 2020 election cycle, Bad Bunny told Time magazine that he supported the violence, the riotous Black Lives Matter movement, and gave the magazine a statement reading, quote, f Donald Trump. Yeah. Used the whole word. Presidente Del Rassimo. Yes, that's calling Donald Trump the F word and then saying he's a racist. He wasn't done there, by the way. He also put this out in the world. Living in a world like this, none of us can breathe. F. Donald Trump, President of racism, your hate and tyranny. That's terrorism. Referring to Donald Trump as an actual terrorist. Don't stop the fight. He then encouraged those who were burning down American cities, Don't lower your fists telling them to go after law enforcement. Know that we are all home, that this is our land. That is what Bad Bunny put out. Then in another example of his feelings on woke political topics immediately after he was announced as the NFL's halftime show star back in October, Bad Bunny smugly exclaimed that Americans had four months to, quote, learn Spanish, quote unquote, and has insisted that he will not sing any of his music in English. Only days before his super bowl appearance, the rapper tried to walk back his you better learn Spanish warning. During an appearance on San Francisco's local station, the rapper told the audience, quote, I know. I told them they had four months to learn Spanish. They don't even have to learn Spanish. They can learn to dance. Yes, despite his history of anti Americanism, the NFL has been working hard to defend its decision to book Bad Bunny as the headliner of its 26 Super bowl halftime show. Despite Bunny's constant, literal attacks on America, his insistence that he will never sing in English and his decision not to tour the US because he hates Donald Trump, the NFL commissioner, Roger Goodell, insisted that hiring the rapper is going to be a united moment for America and for football fans, and the league has rejected calls to fire the rapper. So there you go. Bad Bunny got the offer and yeah, he caved on some of his claims. But the NFL also made it clear they're willing to put people on stage at halftime if they think it expands the NFL audience to those outside the United States of America. No doubt about it. If you watch the halftime show and not the Turning Point one, you probably have an opinion. Donald Trump had this to say about it, saying, quote, it was one of the worst ever. Absolutely terrible super bowl halftime show. President Trump criticizing that show and saying exactly what you expect. In his post on Truth Social, he described it as a slap in the face to the United States. Trump also took a shot at Bad Bunny performing in Spanish, stating that nobody understands a word this guy is saying. The super bowl halftime show is absolutely terrible, one of the worst ever, trump said. It makes no sense and it's an affront to the greatness of America and doesn't represent our standards of success, creativity or excellence. Nobody understands the word this guy's saying and the dancing is disgusting, especially for young children that are watching from throughout the US and all over the world. This show is just a slap in the face to our country, which is setting new standards and records every single day. The President went on to say, including the best stock market and 401k in history. Trump went on to say, there is nothing inspirational about this mess of the halftime show. And watch, it will get great reviews from the fake news media because they haven't gotten a clue of what's going on in the real world. And by the way, the NFL should immediately replace this ridiculous new kickoff rule. The President also weighed in. So there you have it, a full rundown of what actually happened at the Super Bowl. One thing's for sure, the NFL is willing to sell out to anyone if they think it can bring in new fans. And it even, even if it means putting someone up on stage that says, f the President of the United States of America and much of the greatness of this country.

[Ben Ferguson]

Now, story number two.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

So the super bowl happened and we decided we were going to talk about it. Senator Cruz and I were deciding how we were going to talk about Bad Bunny. And if you didn't understand a word he was saying in the super bowl. Yeah, that was on purpose. It's part of his anti America, hate us all agenda. Now, that's just the reality of the situation. But how angry should you be? And also, there was an alternative, which is what I love about this country.

[Ben Ferguson's Co-host]

Well, it's Super Bowl Sunday. I will say I had the great joy of being on an airplane during a lot of the Super Bowl. So I caught part of the third quarter and that was about it. So I didn't watch much. I got a field goal. That was about it. I did not see the halftime show, although I did pull it up on my phone and watch part of it afterwards. But you know, look, I mean, the Super Bowl, a lot of times I'll go to a Super bowl party. In this case, I was just, just flying and landing in Texas. So got, got on the. Got home midway through. You know, I gotta say a lot of the noise about the halftime show.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Yeah.

[Ben Ferguson's Co-host]

I just found myself not caring. Like, I know that there were a lot of folks all worked up and on the right. You're supposed to be outraged that, that, you know, Bad Bunny.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

There was like no English spoken. I couldn't send damn. Where the guy was saying, yeah, yeah, yeah. So I'm not bilingual like you are though, sinner. There's a difference. See, you understood it.

[Ben Ferguson's Co-host]

I did. Benjamin, look, we Latinos, a little bit of Spanish won't kill you. Like, I just, you know, I don't like the guy's politics at the Grammys. I thought he made an ass of himself. Like like saying ice out. That I, that I don't like. And I don't really like when celebrities try to force their politics on us. But, you know, I watched him like in the sugar cane and dancing around. I think most of the halftime shows are kind of silly. So, like, this didn't strike me as particularly unusual in more or less silliness. You know, the guy falls through a roof and lands in someone's apartment. That was just kind of strange. But I, you know, it was. I found myself.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Are we at the level now where you just say if you're like a singer and this is what you do, you just don't give a crap?

[Ben Ferguson's Co-host]

Oh, look, I mean, I, My girls like that Bunny. I have to admit, he's not on my playlist, but I have a 15 and 17 year old daughter and they listen to him some. Most of the halftime shows don't do much for me. I mean, they're fine. They're typically like pop singers and, you know, I tend to listen to more country music or classic rock anyway, so. Look, it was. We've already talked more in the last four minutes about it than I've probably thought about the whole thing.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

I love it. I love it. By the way, did you see that turning point out like 5 million live watching on YouTube.

[Ben Ferguson's Co-host]

Yeah. And look, Kid Rock, you know, I mean, Kid Rock testified before the Senate this past week. And so I got to visit with Kid Rock. He came at my office. He was a nice guy. I liked him. But to be honest, I, I was on a plane for Kid Rocks too, so I didn't, didn't watch either one of them, by the way. I was glad. At least. I, you know, the early promo said Bad Bunny was going to wear a dress. He didn't wear a dress. At least not that I saw. So, So I was glad of that, at least that, you know, small victory.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Yeah, he leaves that in like, you know, the burning of flags other places, right?

[Ben Ferguson's Co-host]

Yeah.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Not during the Super Bowl. Yeah, you know, just.

[Ben Ferguson's Co-host]

I'm just saying I am curious though, how much Bad Bunny is going to be taxed for having gone to the Super Bowl.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

So, by the way, this is the story that I think everyone should be outraged over, right. If I, if, if, if Bad Bunny didn't get you going. Here is the story. And we've got the tax dollars, if you want to know why California is fading fast and why so many people that when they start making money are out there and so many people. And in the, in the crypto world and the it world, and all the other worlds are like, they're getting out there, like they're leaving fast as they can. Let's just break down. We've got some data for people of how much money California made off the super bowl, of those that were actually making money at the Super Bowl. It really is incredible data.

[Ben Ferguson's Co-host]

Well, it is if you look at Sam Darnold going into the game. Here's what his incentives were. If he wins.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Yeah.

[Ben Ferguson's Co-host]

He's going to receive $178,000 as a bonus.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Yep.

[Ben Ferguson's Co-host]

And he will pay 249,000 in taxes to California for his time here. Meaning he will lose $71,000. Yeah, that's what ended up happening. If he. If he had lost, then he would have gotten $103,000 in bonus, but he would still owe 235,000 in taxes, meaning he would have lost $135,000. So I guess, Sam, congratulations.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Yeah.

[Ben Ferguson's Co-host]

You only lost $71,000 for stepping foot in the Commonwealth of California instead of losing $135,000. And what kind of insanity is it that that's how the California tax system is?

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Yeah, it is. And it's. And I mean, this is you. You fly in there and you just do a day's work, and you're a performer. They are going to take as much money as they can, and they don't care. Like, they're. Now there's. There's. There was interesting article I was reading online about.

[Ben Ferguson's Co-host]

Look, look, I think. I think Bad Bunny changed his name. He's now Sad Bunny because California took all his money.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Say that. You're not wrong on that one. But they were talking about bands, and, you know.

[Ben Ferguson's Co-host]

You know, if you. If you let California keep going, he may soon be like Fatal Attraction, buddy. I mean, there's a whole, like.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Like rabbit. There's a whole rabbit hole. You can go down on this one. Is that what you're telling me right now?

[Ben Ferguson's Co-host]

Oh, yeah.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

All right.

[Ben Ferguson's Co-host]

I went there, then you. You went worse.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Okay, you're welcome. You're welcome. I'm here all night, folks. No comedians, though, are avoiding California for the tax reasons. You just said that. I mean, it's. It's real. Why would you spend the night there if you know you're not going to make near as much money? And you can choose to go somewhere else, like go to Nevada, go to New Mexico. I mean, there's. There's a lot of other places you can go to perform. And there's a lot of people that are now saying they're actually avoiding it for the reasons you just described with those bonuses and the taxes.

[Ben Ferguson's Co-host]

So California has the highest marginal income tax of any state. Its top marginal rate is 13.3% on wage income and on capital gains that exceed $1 million a year. The top rate for wage income climbs to 14.6% when you include the state disability insurance rate, which has no wage cap. And that's on top of federal taxes. So federal taxes at the top of the tax bracket, you're paying 37% plus 14.6%. So so the reason Darnold owes that money is because he is tallied with with eight duty days in California while they were they get there getting ready for the Super Bowl. He got popped with it. Welcome to California. Congratulations on the Super Bowl. And by the way, when you play the super bowl in Texas, we don't tax you a penny and you get great text backs.

[Ben Ferguson]

Thank you for listening to the 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson. Please make sure you hit subscribe wherever you're listening to this podcast right now and for more in depth news, also subscribe to the Ben Ferguson Podcast and we will see you back here tomorrow.

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