Everyone’s Talking About Bad Bunny’s Halftime Show—But No, Willie Nelson Isn’t the “Country Countermove” ML
The NFL’s announcement of Bad Bunny as the Super Bowl LX performer has sparked serious backlash from conservative politicians and individuals, who strongly oppose the Puerto Rican artist taking center stage at the biggest sporting event of the year. Several petitions have circulated calling for Bad Bunny to be replaced by someone who they feel represents American values, with one popular appeal singling out country star George Strait as the preferred option. But more stars have been added to a dream lineup for a halftime alternative, including one of the biggest music names out of Texas country music.
As the discourse about the Super Bowl show continues, it’s become a major front for the culture war shenanigans and outrage farming. Last week, a Change.org petition with over 10,000 signatures made waves, calling for Strait to take Bad Bunny’s position during the Super Bowl LX halftime show on Feb. 8, 2026. The petition aims to provide an “all-American” and more “family-friendly” substitute for the reggaeton artist and global sensation.
Now that the petition to replace the “Tití Me Preguntó” singer with Strait has reached almost 80,000 signatures as of writing, more acts have been falsely announced as performers for the upcoming alternative halftime show presented by Turning Point USA.
Facebook AI-generated slop pages are adept at deceiving boomers and people with lower internet-literacy with fake news posts describing events that never happened-like Strait breaking out into tears while making a tribute to Turning Point USA founder and conservative pundit Charlie Kirk, who was shot and killed in September. The AI posts have incorrectly tapped several musicians as the acts that will make up the right-wing organization’s alternative halftime show in opposition to the official show led by Bad Bunny.
Among the several artists falsely attached to the show is the Outlaw Country pioneer himself, Willie Nelson. But the 92-year-old’s representatives have been quick to deny reports that he’ll be among the “six legends” of country music to perform at the “alternate” halftime event.
“They obviously don’t know anything about Willie, do they?” his representatives told Rolling Stone of the claims.
Nelson, a lifelong Democrat, is widely known as a political activist who supports progressive causes, including marijuana legalization, LGBTQ+ rights, and environmentalism. He has publicly endorsed Democratic candidates, famously performing at Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign rally in 2024. The Outlaw Country icon has also been a vocal critic of certain Republican policies and figures, frequently speaking out against Trump’s border policies.
So yeah. It’s highly unlikely Nelson would ever perform at a Turning Point USA halftime show.
The pages have also been circulating fake news claiming that Neil Young and Joan Baez are among the six all-American acts the show will reportedly feature. One of the posts alleges that Young and Baez will headline a “heartfelt and patriotic alternative to the Super Bowl 60 halftime event” that will “honor the enduring legacy of Charlie Kirk.”
Similarly to Nelson, both artists have publicly criticized President Trump and performed alongside Democratic politicians in opposition to Trump’s policies. They both joined Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s “Fighting Oligarchy” tour. Young has even recently put out a Trump protest song titled “Big Crime.”
Turning Point USA hasn’t officially named any performers yet, with no announcements or information on the organization’s website beyond acknowledging plans to put on the halftime show.
