More Americans believe Bad Bunny embodies the country’s values better than Donald Trump

Donald Trump is the president of the United States, but the population believes that Bad Bunny better embodies American values. According to a survey published by Yahoo and YouGov, a company specializing in market research, the artist best reflects the North American country, with 42% of positive responses, compared to the Republican president, who had 39%. The study was conducted days after the Puerto Rican’s performance at halftime during Super Bowl LX, which took place on Sunday, February 8.

Trump said on social media that the show had been one of the worst in history. “It is an affront to the greatness of the United States and does not represent our values of success, creativity, and excellence. No one understands a word this guy says, and the dancing is disgusting, especially for young children.” But the numbers tell a different story.

The partisan difference is striking. About 78% of those who identify as Democrats view Bad Bunny favorably, and only 7% reject him. On the other hand, among those who identify as Republicans, only 12% approve of the Puerto Rican, compared to 70% who disapprove. Among independent voters, 46% voted for the artist, while 27% voted for the president.

Bad Bunny’s performance at one of the most watched events in the world has also generated increased interest in learning Spanish and traveling to the Caribbean island. Duolingo, one of the most popular language learning apps, shared a graph on its social media showing a 35% increase in Spanish learners minutes after the artist’s performance ended.

On the other hand, Billboard, a weekly magazine specializing in the music industry, reported that searches for information on traveling to Puerto Rico have skyrocketed 245% since February 8. Between February 9 and February 11, interest in visiting San Juan, the island’s capital, was up 240%, and interest in visiting Vega Baja, the city where Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio was born, was up 1,450%.

The Republican president’s displeasure, voiced without filters in his usual manner, could work against him during the congressional elections to be held in November this year. Trump had strong support from the Latino vote in 2024, outperforming his rival, Democrat Kamala Harris — who replaced Joe Biden in the presidential race — in all counties with 70% or more of the population of Latino origin while increasing his support among Hispanics in the seven key states. Now, however, the immigration offensive coupled with the president’s openly xenophobic rhetoric could take its toll.

According to Forbes, “some of Trump’s staunchest Latino allies called the attacks on the music star a political misstep as the party struggles to maintain its slim majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.” Former Trump administration official Vianca Rodríguez, who is of Puerto Rican descent, told the same media outlet that these attacks are damaging to the Republican Party.

Bad Bunny has been one of the most influential artists in the industry for years, but the first few months of 2026 will go down in history: the first Spanish-language singer nominated for Best Album, Best Recording, and Best Urban Album at the same Grammy Awards; the first artist to perform the entire Super Bowl halftime show in Spanish; and the first to reach this stage singing exclusively in Spanish.

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