TLDR:
- Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville is calling Sunday’s Super Bowl the “Woke Bowl” and plans to skip it for a Turning Point USA counter-event featuring Kid Rock
- The game comes just two weeks after Alex Pretti’s killing by federal agents, with 184,000 people petitioning the NFL to bar ICE from the stadium
- Bad Bunny will headline halftime despite President Trump calling him a “terrible choice” and conservative backlash over his immigration stance
- The Super Bowl has become an unlikely political flashpoint as America’s last shared cultural moment turns into a partisan battleground
America’s biggest sporting event has become the latest political battleground, with Republicans launching a counter-Super Bowl and liberals demanding immigration enforcement stay away from the stadium.
Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama told Newsmax he’ll skip what he’s calling the “Woke Bowl” to watch an alternative show hosted by Turning Point USA. The conservative group announced Kid Rock will perform at its competing event Sunday.
The controversy centers on halftime performer Bad Bunny, whom Mr. Trump has derided as a “terrible choice.” The Puerto Rican star recently blasted ICE at the Grammys and skipped touring the continental U.S. over fears his fans could face immigration enforcement.
More than 184,000 people have signed a MoveOn petition demanding the NFL keep ICE away from Levi’s Stadium. The pressure comes just two weeks after Alex Pretti’s killing by federal agents reignited debate over Mr. Trump’s enforcement tactics.
Despite private assurances from DHS that ICE won’t conduct operations, official spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin refused to confirm the agency’s absence.
“The Super Bowl is supposed to be an escape,” said former Giants player Tiki Barber. “I hope it doesn’t devolve.”
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell defended Bad Bunny as “one of the great artists in the world.”
Read more:
• Don’t tune into the Super Bowl hoping for a break from politics
This article is written with the assistance of generative artificial intelligence based solely on Washington Times original reporting and wire services. For more information, please read our AI policy or contact Steve Fink, Director of Artificial Intelligence, at sfink@washingtontimes.com
The Washington Times AI Ethics Newsroom Committee can be reached at aispotlight@washingtontimes.com.
