Former President Donald J. Trump slammed Rihanna’s Super Bowl LVII Apple Music Halftime Show, calling it “the single worst Halftime Show in Super Bowl history.”
The 45th President of the United States took to Truth Social on Sunday evening (Feb. 12) to comment on the “Run This Town” singer’s performance.
“EPIC FAIL: Rihanna gave, without question, the single worst Halftime Show in Super Bowl history,” Trump wrote on the social media platform, which was created by Trump Media & Technology Group, an American media and technology company founded in October 2021 by Trump.
“This after insulting far more than half of our Nation, which is already in serious DECLINE, with her foul and insulting language,” Trump continued. “Also, so much for her ‘Stylist!’”
Prior to Rihanna’s performance at the Super Bowl, Trump also bashed the 34-year-old Barbados native, saying, “Without her ‘Stylist’ she’d be NOTHING. Bad everything, and NO TALENT!”
This isn’t the first time that Trump and Rihanna have clashed. In 2018, Rihanna won a legal battle against Trump, when her performing rights company, Broadcast Music Inc. (also known as BMI), made the then-President that he could no longer use her music at his political rallies.
At the time a reporter from The Washington Post took to Twitter to let the “Stay” singer know that Trump had her music “blaring” at one of his political rallies in Florida. And after Rihanna saw the Tweet, she replied, “Not for much longer…me nor my people would ever be at or around one of those tragic rallies.”
Rihanna Is Not A Fan Of Former President Trump
Over the years, Rihanna has been a very outspoken critic of Trump, especially during his Presidency.
The Fenty Beauty owner slammed Trump’s “Muslim ban” in 2017, which prohibited citizens of seven primarily Muslim countries from visiting the United States. “Disgusted! The news is devastating! America is being ruined right before our eyes! What an immoral pig you have to be to implement such BS!” she wrote on Twitter at the time.
Rihanna also shared a photo on Instagram in August 2020 spray-painting the words “f–k Trump” on a car at the Cadillac Ranch tourist attraction in Amarillo, Texas.
At the time, Ronny Jackson, a U.S. representative for Texas, was not very happy about the incident and recently further elaborated on his upset ahead of Rihanna’s Apple Music Halftime Show.
On Thursday (Feb. 9), Jackson took to Twitter to bash the NFL for allowing Rihanna to be this year’s Halftime Show performer.
“Rihanna spray painted ‘F*** Donald Trump’ on a car at the Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo,” Jackson tweeted. “She’s made a career of spewing degenerate filth while badmouthing America every chance she gets. Why is the NFL showcasing this crap? Rihanna SHOULD NOT be the halftime performer!!”
Rihanna Performed Some Of Her Biggest Hits
Rihanna returned to the stage for the first time in nearly a decade on Sunday (Feb. 12) to deliver an epic 12-song, 13-minute Super Bowl Halftime Show performance.
The nine-time GRAMMY winner took fans on a journey through her iconic career, performing a medley of hits, including “B**ch Better Have My Money,” “Where Have You Been,” “Only Girl (In The World),” “We Found Love,” “Rude Boy,” “Work,” “Wild Thoughts,” “Pour It Up,” “All Of The Lights,” “Run This Town,” “Umbrella,” and “Diamonds.”
Rihanna’s Apple Music Halftime Show was produced by DPS. Roc Nation and Jesse Collins served as executive producers, while Hamish Hamilton serves as the performance’s director.
“Rihanna is a generational talent, a woman of humble beginnings who has surpassed expectations at every turn,” Jay-Z, Rihanna’s “Umbrella” collaborator and the founder of Roc Nation, previously said in a statement. “A person born on the small island of Barbados who became one of the most prominent artists ever. Self-made in business and entertainment.”
The pop star has mostly remained out of the spotlight in music over the last several years to focus on her Savage X Fenty lingerie and beauty line. In May of 2022, Rihanna welcomed her first child with her boyfriend A$AP ROCKY.
She Is Nominated For Her First-Ever Oscar
The worldwide phenomenon later released two new songs, “Lift Me Up” and “Born Again,” which marked her first new music since 2016’s Anti. Both tunes appear as part of the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack.
The Barbados native recently scored her first-ever Oscar nomination at the 95th Academy Awards for Best Original Song for the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever single, “Lift Me Up,” which is also her first solo single in six years.
Rihanna follows previous Super Bowl halftime performers Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar, 50 Cent, The Weeknd, Shakira and Jennifer Lopez, Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake, and many more.
BabyFace And Chris Stapleton Also Performed At Super Bowl LVII
Stapleton turned heads with his soulful performance of The National Anthem, which brought many viewers to tears and earned praised from the country music community.
Babyface, a 12-time GRAMMY winner, sang “America The Beautiful,” while Emmy-award winning actress, Sheryl Lee Ralph, performed “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”
Additionally, the pregame performers were joined by Academy Award-winner Troy Kotsur, who signed the National Anthem, “America The Beautiful,” “Life Every Voice and Sing,” and will sign the Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show in American Sign Language. Kotsur, who is only the second deaf person to win an Oscar, is an Arizona native known for his work in the film CODA.
Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles faced off during Super Bowl LVII, which took place at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on Sunday (Feb. 12) at 6:30 p.m. EST on FOX.
