No one understood Bad Bunny? U.S. is a top Spanish-speaking nation, contrary to Trump's claim
Bad Bunny made history on Sunday as the first musician to perform entirely in Spanish at the Super Bowl halftime show — a feat U.S. President Donald Trump quickly dismissed as “absolutely terrible,” adding, “nobody understands a word this guy is saying.”
The 31-year-old Puerto Rican singer, born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, headlined a 14-minute set that celebrated Puerto Rican culture while promoting unity across the Americas.
The performance included guest appearances from Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin, as well as cameos from Pedro Pascal, Cardi B, Karol G, and Jessica Alba.
It was a celebration-cum-show that featured a mix of music, dance, and visual storytelling, including a traditional Puerto Rican casita, national flags from across North, Central and South America.
One billboard read, “The only thing more powerful than hate is love.” At the end of the performance, Bad Bunny held a football with the English slogan “Together, We Are America.”
Trump, who did not attend the game, criticized the set on Truth Social, calling it “an affront to the Greatness of America” and accusing viewers of being unable to understand the lyrics. He also claimed the dancing was “disgusting, especially for young children.”
However, data contradicts Trump’s claim as the U.S. holds the title of the second-largest Spanish-speaking nation in the world.
According to Forbes, about 13 percent of the American population speaks Spanish at home.
This makes the U.S. the second-largest Spanish-speaking country in the world, with about 65.5 million Spanish speakers, after Mexico, which has about 138.1 million.
The number of Spanish speakers in the U.S. is expected to rise further, with projections indicating that one in three Americans could speak Spanish by 2050, including bilingual individuals.
Other countries with large Spanish-speaking populations include Colombia (53.1 million), Spain (48.9 million) and Argentina (47.5 million), according to 2025 data from the World Population Review.
Spanish is the second-most spoken language globally, with over 559 million speakers, including 460 million native speakers.
Ergo, data show that millions of Americans could follow and understand Bad Bunny’s performance, directly contradicting Trump’s claim that “nobody understands a word this guy is saying.”
Bad Bunny rarely sings in English, a deliberate choice that reflects his commitment to preserving Puerto Rican identity in his music. The singer has previously rejected industry pressures to translate or soften his songs to appeal to wider audiences.
His decision to perform in Spanish on the Super Bowl stage has brought Latino culture to millions of Americans and reflects broader shifts in U.S. media and entertainment, where Spanish-language music continues to gain ground.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
