Copyright Newsweek
An online rumor stating that Morgan Wallen and Jason Aldean will perform at Turning Point USA (TPUSA)'s halftime show appears to be false. TPUSA is the conservative organization co-founded by political activist Charlie Kirk, who was shot and killed at a public debate event at Utah Valley University last month. Newsweek reached out to TPUSA, as well as Wallen and Aldean's representatives, via email for comment on Tuesday. Why It Matters Last month's selection of Bad Bunny as the official performer for Super Bowl LX's halftime show ignited a cultural debate, with TPUSA launching a simultaneous alternative event in protest. The NFL's announcement drew significant backlash from some conservative and MAGA [Make America Great Again] circles, who argued the show should reflect more traditional American culture. Bad Bunny sings almost exclusively in Spanish and has openly criticized President Donald Trump in the past. What To Know Amid this controversy, a social media post involving Wallen and Aldean has taken off online. "Morgan Wallen and Jason Aldean confirm that they will duet the Star Spangled Banner at the Turning Points [sic] USA Halftime Show," the X post by @NewswirePatriot reads. "Will you be watching?" At the time of publication, the note has racked up more than 178,800 views and over 17,000 likes. Despite the nature of the post appearing as fact, no performers have been officially announced to date. In the comments, X user @LindaTraitz summoned Elon Musk's Grok—an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot—for more information: "@grok Has this been confirmed?" Grok said in response: "No, I couldn't find official confirmation from Trump, Morgan Wallen, or their teams about any joint appearance or interview. The post features side-by-side images suggesting a connection, but reliable sources show no announcements. It appears speculative—wait for verified statements before tuning in." This isn't the first time rumors swirled about TPUSA's halftime show performers. On October 12, X user @JohnStrandUSA's post stating that Aldean, Kid Rock, Ted Nugent, Travis Tritt, John Rich, Lee Greenwood and more would be singing at the event garnered over 1.8 million views. At the time, however, a community message below it stated: "TPUSA announced an alternative 'All American Halftime Show' for Feb. 8, 2026. It is not the NFL’s official Super Bowl halftime. As of Oct 12, 2025 no lineup is announced; the poster’s listed artists aren’t confirmed." Over the years, Aldean has been a vocal supporter of Trump. During an Instagram Q&A in March, the "Try That in a Small Town" singer and his wife, Brittany Aldean, praised the 79-year-old president. "Obviously you guys know this, we’ve been a fan of his for a long time and he’s doing, I think, what a lot of us hoped he would, what he said he was gonna do," Jason Aldean said, per country news site Whiskey Riff. "I think at the end of the day, it seems he’s going to save taxpayers a lot of money, he’s saving a ton of our tax dollars that are going to waste." Brittany Aldean added: "This is what I voted for," noting, "I sleep way better at night." Morgan, meanwhile, hasn't expressed his political views, though Variety reported earlier this year that his music is "Trump-coded." In his tune, "Working Man's Song," the two-time Grammy nominated artist touches on politics: "Red, blue, right, left, they still workin' us to death. And whatever's left over at the end's to the IRS." What People Are Saying Turning Point USA's initial halftime show announcement was shared on X on October 9: "HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT. It’s true, Turning Point USA is thrilled to announce The All American Halftime Show. Performers and event details coming soon. 2.8.2026." Conservative activist Jack Posobiec—who is associated with TPUSA—dismissed rumors about specific performers on X on October 12: "No artists have been announced for the TPUSA Halftime Show yet." Bad Bunny released a statement following the NFL's Super Bowl halftime show announcement: "What I’m feeling goes beyond myself. It’s for those who came before me and ran countless yards so I could come in and score a touchdown … this is for my people, my culture, and our history. Ve y dile a tu abuela, que seremos el HALFTIME SHOW DEL SUPER BOWL." President Trump expressed his disproval of the NFL's choice in an interview with Newsmax: "I never heard of him. I don't know who he is, I don't know why they're doing it, it's like crazy … I think it's absolutely ridiculous." NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell defended Bad Bunny in a news conference: "The NFL is not considering dropping Bad Bunny. It’s carefully thought through. I’m not sure we’ve ever selected an artist where we didn’t have some blowback or criticism. It’s pretty hard to do when you have literally hundreds of millions of people that are watching." On a recent episode of The Right View with Lara Trump, Trump's daughter-in-law Lara Trump floated possible TPUSA halftime show performers, including MAGA-affiliated rapper Tom MacDonald: "Tom MacDonald, 100 percent. I think I talked about him the last time we did a Q&A episode … I said I'd like to perform on stage with him, do a little karaoke sesh, absolutely. I think he's awesome, I would love to see that happen." In response, MacDonald told Newsweek: "Lara is a brilliant woman and clearly has exceptional taste in music. Hopefully we can make her suggestion a reality." What Happens Next Bad Bunny will perform at the Super Bowl LX halftime show on Sunday, February 8, 2026.
