Bad Bunny is under intense scrutiny from Republican lawmakers after his Super Bowl halftime show drew criticism for explicit content.
GOP leaders are calling for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to review the performance and have requested a congressional inquiry into the NFL and NBC over their role in the broadcast.
While no formal investigations have been launched, the move has sparked a political firestorm and threatens to put the performer and the network under heightened pressure.
The debate quickly spilled beyond Capitol Hill.
After The Washington Post described the performance as “wholesome,” Donald Trump Jr. took to X, writing, “Maybe the 30% layoffs at WAPO weren’t nearly enough.”
The controversy intensified as translations of the Puerto Rican rapper’s largely Spanish-language lyrics circulated online.
Some GOP lawmakers argued the performance may have violated federal indecency laws governing public airwaves, specifically 47 U.S.C. § 1464, which prohibits obscene, indecent, or profane material during hours when children are likely to be watching.
Federal Communications Commission rules apply to over-the-air broadcasts such as NBC, with enforcement historically tied to complaints and determinations about whether content meets the legal definition of indecency under established Supreme Court precedent.
Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL) said he and other Republicans are preparing a letter to FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr seeking enforcement measures.
“We are sending FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr a letter calling for dramatic action, including fines and broadcast license reviews, against the NFL, NBC, and ‘Bad Bunny,’” Fine said.
He added, “Bad Bunny’s disgusting halftime show was illegal.”
According to Newsmax, Fine argued broadcasters cannot avoid accountability because the lyrics were performed in Spanish.
“Had he said these lyrics—and all of the other disgusting and pornographic filth in English on live TV, the broadcast would have been pulled down and the fines would have been enormous,” he wrote on X.
Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) moved to escalate the matter beyond regulatory penalties by requesting a formal congressional inquiry.
In a letter to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Ogles described the halftime show as “pure smut” and cited what he called “a performance dominated by sexually explicit lyrical themes and suggestive choreography.”
“The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show was pure smut, brazenly aired on national television for every American family to witness,” Ogles declared, according to LifeSite News. “Children were forced to endure explicit displays of gay sexual acts, women gyrating provocatively, and Bad Bunny shamelessly grabbing his crotch while dry-humping the air.”
Ogles questioned whether league officials and network executives had advance knowledge of the set’s content, writing that it was “highly implausible” the NFL and NBC were unaware of the nature of the performance.
He called for an examination of internal review procedures, translation assessments, and whether broadcast delay safeguards were “properly applied” or “intentionally disregarded.”
“That is why I am requesting that the Energy and Commerce Committee launch a formal congressional inquiry into the National Football League and NBC immediately for their prior knowledge, deliberate approval, and facilitation of this indecent broadcast,” Ogles said.
Rep. Mark Alford (R-MO) compared the show to previous Super Bowl controversies, calling it “much worse than the Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction.”
Speaking on Real America’s Voice, Alford said House Republicans are continuing to review the matter.
“We are still investigating this. There’s a lot of information that has come out about the lyrics,” he said. “I saw the halftime show … the lyrics from what we have seen, from Bad Bunny, are very disturbing.”
While portions of the performance were censored, Axios reported that Bad Bunny “did not once say the f-word” during the live broadcast, contradicting early claims circulating online.
Nonetheless, critics maintain that both the choreography and translated lyrics remained inappropriate for a nationally televised event.
Alternative programming also drew attention.
Turning Point USA’s “All America Halftime Show” saw Kid Rock’s rendition of “‘Til You Can’t” rise to the No. 1 spot on iTunes the following day, briefly surpassing Bad Bunny’s songs on the chart, according to reports.
As lawmakers pursue regulatory and congressional avenues, the dispute has evolved into a broader debate over broadcast standards, network oversight, and the limits of prime-time entertainment on public airwaves.
