Kid Rock headlined Turning Point USA’s All-American halftime show, which featured gospel music and patriotism as a counter to the official Super Bowl halftime show headlined by Bad Bunny, who performed sexually explicit lyrics in Spanish. Photo courtesy of Turning Point USA via Twitter.

Turning Point USA staged an “All-American” alternative halftime show during Super Bowl LX, positioning it as a conservative counterprogram to the official NFL halftime show headlined by Bad Bunny. He is known for appearing in drag wearing prosthetic breasts, and his performance featured obscene lyrics in Spanish alongside multiple Latin American flags.

The All-American show, by contrast, was an hour-long event organized in honor of TPUSA co-founder Charlie Kirk and featured gospel and patriotic music, speeches, and tributes. It was endorsed by the U.S. Department of War, promoted by conservative media, and cross-aired by allied outlets.

Conservative media described the event as a major success, while mainstream outlets largely dismissed it as a failure. A closer look at the numbers, however, shows that the All-American halftime show ranks among the most successful alternative broadcasts in Super Bowl history.

Like the success of Angel Studios and the many faith-based films that have delivered strong returns on investment, the event suggests a substantial audience appetite for faith, patriotism, and traditional values. The digital media environment is increasingly making it possible for David to compete with Goliath.

The official Super Bowl halftime show drew 128.2 million live viewers on NBC platforms. At the same time, Turning Point USA’s “All-American Halftime Show” achieved a peak of 6.1 million concurrent live viewers on YouTube, with additional views on Rumble and other platforms, including TBN and OAN. Just before the show began, the Twitter (X) broadcast was pulled, forcing viewers to switch to YouTube. Estimates of live viewership on the other platforms range between 1 and 3 million. While these numbers are unverified, it is a fact that the live views exceeded the Youtube number.

By the end of Sunday night, the TPUSA broadcast had surpassed 20 million total views, and by the following morning it reached more than 21 million views on YouTube alone, with an estimated total of 25 million-plus views when all major platforms are included.

Using the 6.1 million peak concurrent digital viewers reported by The New York Times, the TPUSA broadcast ranks as the most successful live digital alternative to a Super Bowl halftime show in history. Using the easily verifiable YouTube numbers of more than 21 million views, combined with TPUSA’s 25 million total reach claim, the All-American Halftime Show at least ties the largest audience ever to compete with the Super Bowl. That benchmark was set by the 1992 In Living Color special, which drew an estimated 22 to 25 million viewers. It also far surpasses the second-place competitor, the 2002 Playboy Playmate Fear Factor episode, which drew 11.4 million viewers.

To be fair, however, the metrics differ significantly, as one measures linear television audiences while the other includes social media replays.

Among many criticisms, conservatives objected to the fact that Bad Bunny’s show did not reflect American values. The Super Bowl is one of the most American institutions that exists. While baseball is the official American pastime, American football is played at any significant level only in the United States and, in fact, bears our name: American football. Americans even call soccer “soccer” so it will not be confused with this most American of games.

Past Super Bowl shows have featured military performances. Historically, the NFL used the halftime window for “Salute to Service” moments and patriotic spectacles.

While a military flyover happens at every Super Bowl during the National Anthem, the Blue Angels specifically performed a rare flyover during the pre-game opening of Super Bowl 50 in Santa Clara in 2016. Super Bowl LX in 2026 featured a historic joint Navy and Air Force flyover, including B-1 bombers and F-35s, to commemorate America’s 250th anniversary. Like most modern flyovers, it occurred during the Anthem, whereas in the 1970s and 1980s these displays were sometimes integrated into broader halftime festivities.

Before the 1990s, the NFL rarely hired pop stars and instead focused on explicitly “All-American” themes. Super Bowl IV in 1970 featured a massive military reenactment of the Battle of New Orleans, complete with cannons, muskets, and smoke that nearly delayed the second-half kickoff. Super Bowl XI in 1977, titled “It’s a Small World,” was a patriotic tribute produced by Disney that relied heavily on traditional Americana.

During the Gulf War, Super Bowl XXV in 1991, headlined by New Kids on the Block, was framed as a “Small World Salute to 25 Years of Super Bowls” and placed heavy emphasis on a tribute to U.S. troops. It featured a massive choir of children from military families and was preceded by Whitney Houston’s National Anthem.

Following the September 11 attacks, Super Bowl XXXVI in 2002 featured U2 in an explicitly patriotic tribute. Although U2 is an Irish band, the performance centered on a scrolling list of names of those killed in the attacks, and singer Bono ended the set by revealing an American flag sewn into the lining of his jacket.

Liberals are calling conservatives racist for objecting to Bad Bunny performing exclusively in Spanish. The objection is not about race, but about patriotism and the fact that most Americans do not speak Spanish and therefore are not represented by Spanish-language songs. In the past, Latin artists such as Gloria Estefan, Enrique Iglesias, Christina Aguilera, Shakira, and Jennifer Lopez typically sang in English or Spanglish, a mix of English and Spanish.

Super Bowl viewers sparked a backlash after English translations of the Spanish lyrics sung by Bad Bunny circulated following his halftime performance. Translations of his songs, particularly “Safaera,” include graphic references to sexual acts, drug use, and profanity. They rank among the most obscene lyrics ever associated with a Super Bowl halftime show. Christians objected to claims that they should have embraced the performance or that children would enjoy it simply because the lyrics were in Spanish.

Ironically, the same media outlets and social media platforms claiming that obscenity is only a Christian opinion, and not a concrete fact, prohibit users from posting English translations of the lyrics because they violate obscenity rules.

Mainstream media coverage of the All-American halftime show has revealed clear bias against Christianity and patriotism. Wired described Bad Bunny’s performance as “electrifying,” while dismissing the Turning Point USA show as dull and taking place before “a crowd of what appeared to be fewer than 200 people in an undisclosed location.” No one who attended or signed up for the event has described it as dull. The takeaway is that, to mainstream media, Christianity and patriotism are considered dull by default.

On the same page, Wired ran a headline reading, “What to Do if ICE Invades Your Neighborhood.” Federal law enforcement, by definition, cannot “invade” the United States. This kind of one-sided framing fuels violent protests and attacks on ICE agents, which then turn violent and are subsequently used to support the liberal narrative that ICE itself is violent and that deportations should stop.

The post By the Numbers: How the All-American Halftime Show Set Viewership Records appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

GOP Senator Josh Hawley and corrupt Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison got into a heated exchange on Thursday during his testimony before the Senate Homeland Security Committee on the immigration crackdown in Minnesota.

At one point, Josh Hawley pointed at Ellison and told him he should be indicted for helping the corrupt Feeding Our Future officials get “investigators off their backs.”

At least 78 defendants have been federally charged in the $250 million Feeding Our Future scandal – the biggest Covid fraud scheme in the US.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Keith Ellison allowed the fraud to continue and helped cover for the corrupt officials involved.

Ellison financially benefited from his role in protecting the fraudsters.

“You took $10,000 from them 9 days after the meeting!” Hawley said to Ellison.

“YOU helped fraudsters defraud the state of $9B, and you got a fat campaign contribution out of it! You ought to be indicted!” Hawley said.

“They begged you to help them, and you agreed to it! It’s all on tape!” Hawley added.

“This is what accountability looks like, of which you have none,” Hawley said to Ellison.

“It’s my hearing, pal,” Hawley said.

“I’m not your pal. Don’t call me pal,” Ellison replied.

“I should call you ‘prisoner’ because you ought to be in jail,” Hawley said.

“Well, see what you can do about it,” Ellison said in a challenge to Hawley.

WATCH:

The post Hawley Points at Corrupt AG Keith Ellison and Says He Should Be Indicted Over Minnesota Fraud in Heated Exchange (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

A federal judge on Thursday rejected Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s bid to demote and discipline Democrat Senator Mark Kelly over his ‘seditious’ video urging US service members to defy President Trump’s orders.

US District Judge Richard Leon, a George W. Bush appointee, accused the Trump Administration of trying to strip the First Amendment rights of retired military members.

BREAKING: Judge blocks Defense Sec. Pete Hegseth's attempt to discipline/demote Sen. Mark Kelly over his comments re Trump-ordered boat strikes. Judge Richard Leon (GWBush) says admin is trying to strip 1st Amendment rights of military retirees. Doc: https://t.co/i2mR6JOT6X

— Josh Gerstein (@joshgerstein) February 12, 2026

Last month Senator Mark Kelly filed a lawsuit against Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth previously censured Democrat Senator Mark Kelly and cut his military retirement pay over his ‘seditious’ video urging service members to defy President Trump’s orders.

Mark Kelly is one of the ‘Seditious Six’ Democrat lawmakers who urged members of the military to defy Trump’s orders.

In November, without offering any specifics, Senators Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ), along with Democrat Reps. Maggie Goodlander (NH), Jason Crow (CO), Chris Deluzio (PA), and Chrissy Houlahan (PA) repeatedly stated, “You can refuse illegal orders,” or “You must refuse illegal orders,” in a viral video.

The Department of War previously announced it is considering recalling Democrat Senator Mark Kelly for court-martial proceedings after he urged the military to defy President Trump’s orders.

Hegseth recently announced he was moving to demote Kelly and cut his military pension, but stopped short of a court-martial.

“Six weeks ago, Senator Mark Kelly — and five other members of Congress — released a reckless and seditious video that was clearly intended to undermine good order and military discipline,” Hegseth said.

As a retired Navy Captain who is still receiving a military pension, Captain Kelly knows he is still accountable to military justice. And the Department of War — and the American people — expect justice,” Hegseth said.

“Therefore, in response to Senator Mark Kelly’s seditious statements — and his pattern of reckless misconduct — the Department of War is taking administrative action against Captain Mark E. Kelly, USN (Ret). The department has initiated retirement grade determination proceedings under 10 U.S.C. § 1370(f), with reduction in his retired grade resulting in a corresponding reduction in retired pay,” Hegseth said.

“To ensure this action, the Secretary of War has also issued a formal Letter of Censure, which outlines the totality of Captain (for now) Kelly’s reckless misconduct. This Censure is a necessary process step, and will be placed in Captain Kelly’s official and permanent military personnel file,” Hegseth added.

Hegseth responded to the judge’s decision: “This will be immediately appealed.”

This will be immediately appealed.

Sedition is sedition, “Captain.” https://t.co/dKrvhqy1a5

— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) February 12, 2026

The post BREAKING: Judge Blocks Hegseth’s Bid to Demote Democrat Senator Mark Kelly Over His ‘Seditious’ Video Urging Service Members to Defy Trump’s Orders – HEGSETH RESPONDS appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.