Ryan Clark said America “won” during Super Bowl week, praising Bad Bunny’s halftime message in the wake of the racist Donald Trump controversy involving Barack and Michelle Obama
22:08 ET, 11 Feb 2026Updated 22:26 ET, 11 Feb 2026
Ryan Clark joined ESPN as an NFL analyst in February 2015
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Ryan Clark joined ESPN as an NFL analyst in February 2015(Image: Getty)
Former NFL safety and ESPN analyst Ryan Clark said he felt “America won” during Super Bowl week, praising Bad Bunny’s halftime show just days after a racist social media post targeting Barack Obama and Michelle Obama sparked backlash.
Clark delivered an emotional reaction while reflecting on the week’s events and the performance’s broader meaning, as the artist had a hidden message for Donald Trump that many fans missed.
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“The entire Super Bowl week culminating with Bad Bunny's halftime show was the first time in a long time I felt like America won even though from top down we weren't all together,” Clark said. “Watching Bad Bunny represent not only his country but other countries. Watching him be a part of America and show people what America should be.”
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He emphasized what he believed was the central theme of the show.
“That the only thing that can defeat hate is love. That together we are American,” Clark said. “And seeing Pedro Pascal and Jessica Alba and Cardi B and Alex Earle and Lady Gaga, like it wasn't just about him. It wasn't just about Puerto Rico, but it is also okay to be proud in your ancestry when your lineage isn't one of racism and hate and evil.”
Clark continued by praising the tone and presentation of the halftime performance.
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“When your lineage is one that has continued to try to grow, continue to try to bring people together and all he wanted to do was make folks happy,” Clark said. “The music is happy even if I can't understand most of it. It was happy and it was fun and the production and the cinematography was as top level as it's ever been.”
The former Super Bowl champion also addressed criticism that major events have become too political.
“And people are talking about like the messages you send and why does everything have to so much messaging? It's because there's so much hate everywhere else,” Clark said. “And so these people that are coming from these undervalued and underrepresented communities want to represent for those communities on the biggest stage because they're under attack.”
Bad Bunny performs onstage during the Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show at Levi's Stadium on February 08, 2026 in Santa Clara, California
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Bad Bunny's Super Bowl Halftime Show emphasized the need to combat hate with love(Image: Getty Images)
Clark directly referenced the controversy surrounding the Obamas earlier in the week, when President Donald Trump shared, and later deleted, a video depicting them as apes, a racist trope widely condemned by lawmakers from both parties.
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“And the other thing I'll say is leading into that weekend I watched people all around this country band around the fact that Michelle Obama and President Barack Obama were good humans,” Clark said.
“Not that they were the best politicians. Not that they did and made every decision from the White House that everybody wanted to make but that they were good people and they were inclusive people and that they were people of love and of grace and of humility.”
He added, “And I saw for the first time in a long time it didn't matter what party you represented or what your politics were. It was simply about, 'Hey, this is wrong. This is right. Good people don't do certain things.'”