Gavin Newsom declares 'Bad Bunny Day' on Super Bowl Sunday in California

Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News on Feb 8, 2026

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California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared Super Bowl Sunday to be “Bad Bunny Day” in California in a social media post mimicking President Trump.

“As many people know, I am a tremendous lover of ‘the Spanish’,” Newsom wrote Saturday. “I am also a huge fan of Puerrrrrrrto Rico. That is why I am declaring [Sunday] in California as ‘Bad Bunny Day.’”

The Latin pop superstar, 31, will perform at halftime of Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots. He is fresh off accepting three Grammys at last weekend’s award show for his newest album, “Debi Tirar Mas Fotos.”

While accepting one of his Grammys, Bad Bunny began his speech by saying, “Before I say thanks to God, I’m gonna say: ICE out,” which earned thunderous applause. “We’re not savage, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens. We are humans, and we are Americans.”

Newsom has been imitating Trump’s delivery in his social media posts for several months, which he continued in his “Bad Bunny Day” proclamation.

“We love Bad Bunny!” Newsom wrote. “He is nearly as ‘hot’ as me, which is a big compliment, because there is nobody ‘hotter.’ Happy Bad Bunny Day, America. Enjoy!!!”

In a followup post, Newsom also said he had “banned” Kid Rock from California. Kid Rock is headlining an alternative halftime show produced by Charlie Kirk’s former organization, Turning Point USA — and also made headlines this week for song lyrics from 2001 about having sex with underage girls.

On Sunday, Newsom joked that Kid Rock would be performing in front of “35 people, three scooters, and a confused nurse at Trump’s Golden Meadows retirement facility in Florida. Hopefully no children present!!!”

Trump previously called Bad Bunny a “terrible choice” for the halftime show, and press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president would be among those tuning into the alternative Kid Rock performance.

Other conservatives have also complained about Bad Bunny performing in Spanish. But the performer said earlier in the week that viewers didn’t need to learn Spanish to enjoy and dance.