On Sunday night, throughout Dangerous Bunny’s electrifying halftime performance at Tremendous Bowl LX, a crowd of what gave the impression to be fewer than 200 individuals in an undisclosed location had been handled to an alternate live performance, “The All-American Halftime Present,” offered by the right-wing scholar group Turning Level USA.
Conceived as culture-war counterprogramming for a present by a Puerto Rican mega-star who raps and sings in Spanish, and has been a vocal critic of ICE, the occasion featured 4 MAGA-aligned nation stars and was headlined by Child Rock, who made his entrance in jorts and trademark fedora. However for all of the ideological outrage behind this problem to globally widespread Latin music, TPUSA’s star-spangled jamboree wasn’t notably message-driven nor even provocative.
It streamed on platforms together with Rumble, DailyWire+, and a number of YouTube channels. Blake Neff, producer of The Charlie Kirk Present, claimed there have been over 5 million dwell viewers on the Turning Level USA YouTube stream; as of publication time, it has been seen over 16 million instances. Shortly earlier than going dwell, TPUSA introduced that it might not be capable to air the particular on X on account of “licensing points.”
Tremendous Bowl LX, in the meantime, was anticipated to attract as many as 130 million viewers.
Although largely framed as a memorial to Charlie Kirk, the TPUSA founder killed in September throughout a campus discuss, “The All-American Halftime Present” included no look by his widow, Erika Kirk, who has been on an prolonged media tour since her husband’s loss of life. President Trump didn’t remark instantly on the live performance, selecting as a substitute to rant about Dangerous Bunny’s efficiency.
“The Tremendous Bowl Halftime Present is totally horrible, one of many worst, EVER!” Trump wrote on his digital platform, Reality Social. “It is not sensible, is an affront to the Greatness of America, and doesn’t signify our requirements of Success, Creativity, or Excellence. No person understands a phrase this man is saying, and the dancing is disgusting, particularly for younger kids which can be watching from all through the usA., and all around the World.” These feedback got here amid renewed scrutiny of Trump’s relationship with the late intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The Democratic social gathering’s official X account screenshotted Trump’s submit about Dangerous Bunny, observing: “Guess he wasn’t watching Child Rock then.”
The livestream of the TPUSA occasion was preceded by a message from protection secretary Pete Hegseth, who mentioned that the so-called Division of Warfare was “proud to assist” it. Viewers had been additionally directed to a cellphone quantity they may name to “begin or be part of a Turning Level USA chapter.” Feedback on the stream had been full of remarks resembling “Shield children,” “No NFL on display,” “GOD BLESS AMERICA,” and “JESUS.”
Nation singer Brantley Gilbert kicked off the live performance, heavy on pyrotechnic visible results all through, rapping right into a microphone with brass knuckles on it and performing the hit “Dust Highway Anthem,” which he cowrote however was initially made well-known by Jason Aldean in 2010. It options the road “Higher be careful for the boys in blue,” a reference to bother with police. The group, some carrying MAGA hats, then swayed to a few tunes by Gabby Barrett, who received the 2021 Feminine Artist of the 12 months award on the Academy of Nation Music Awards.
Subsequent got here Lee Brice, who shouted out Kirk instantly. “Charlie, he gave individuals microphones so they may say what was on their minds,” he declared earlier than launching right into a premiere efficiency of a brand new tune known as “Nation These days.” The lyrics included an allusion to gender politics. “I flip the TV on and sit and watch the night information / Be informed if I inform my very own daughter that little boys ain’t little ladies / I’d be up the creek in scorching water,” he sang. The refrain famous: “It ain’t straightforward being nation on this nation these days.”
