Bill O’Reilly called soon-t0-be Super Bowl halftime artist Bad Bunny several cheeky nicknames – “Malevolent Rabbit,” “B.B.” and “the Bunny Guy” – but the 76-year-old career conservative talking head has no problem with the NFL’s selection, plans to give him a chance … and promised to step in if ICE actually interferes.
The Puerto Rican singer and rapper was announced Tuesday as the main performer for Super Bowl 26, despite never recording any songs (fully) in English and his ongoing refusal to tour in the United States, saying he fears immigration officials would target his audience.
“The Bunny Guy has been selected to be the halftime entertainment – I don’t care,” O’Reilly chuckled on his “No Spin News” show this week. “But it’s such a good story.”
To give his viewers a taste of what’s to come, O’Reilly played a brief clip from one of his music videos.
“That was good, huh? Not exactly The Four Tops, but I’m an old guy and you can make fun of me,” O’Reilly said. “Go ahead. OK, so that’s Bad Bunny. Doesn’t sing songs in English. Never had an English song. But he does speak English.”
O’Reilly made note of the NFL’s current era of halftime artists – Kendrick Lamar, Usher, Rihanna, Eminem, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg – comes courtesy of Roc Nation founder Jay-Z, who books the league’s entertainment. The Bad Bunny selection sparked backlash for his lack of English lyrics and stance on immigration politics – but O’Reilly didn’t flinch at any of that.
“Is this uh, ‘Good for America?,” O’Reilly mused, chuckling. “I don’t think it’s bad for America. I mean, most people watching aren’t going to be that favorable to the Bunny Guy, but I don’t know if it’s a deficit,” playing a clip of the artist [real name: Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio] explaining his concerns about ICE posting up outside his concert venues.
When asked this week whether ICE really planned to target the show at the home of the San Francisco 49ers, DHS secretary Kristi Noem said agents will be “all over that place.”
“So, the Bunny guy is is afraid to come here,” O’Reilly said. “OK, at least he’s honest, right? I like the Bunny being honest. … So, I could reassure you BB – a little nickname I’m giving him – you can tour in the United States. ICE is not going to bother you. And if they bother you, I’ll help you. I’ll actually uh go wherever you are. You call me … and I’ll actually go where you are until ICE knock it off.”
As for the performance itself, O’Reilly says “The Bunny Guy” has a short leash to keep him entertained.
“I give everybody a chance,” O’Reilly said. “I’m going to give Bad Bunny a chance. Bad Bunny’s got like three-and-a-half minutes with me. If he arrests my attention, I’ll watch the rest. If he doesn’t, I’m gone.”
But he doubled down on his offer for whatever support he can give: “You come to the USA. Anybody hassles you, you let me know.”
Watch the entire segment – and hear who O’Reilly would have liked to see perform at the Super Bowl halftime show – in the video above.