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SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 08: 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. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

The 2026 Super Bowl halftime show, headlined by Bad Bunny, quickly became one of the most culturally and politically charged performances in recent memory. Announced months in advance as the featured performer, Bad Bunny’s selection already signaled a shift in the NFL’s cultural positioning, reflecting the growing influence of Latino audiences in American media (CBS News, 2026). When he ultimately took the stage, performing largely in Spanish and centering Puerto Rican identity, the symbolism was unmistakable.

The performance was widely interpreted not just as entertainment, but as cultural assertion. Spanish-language lyrics dominated the set, and the staging highlighted themes of Latino pride, resilience, and collective identity. El País (2026) described the show as a “protest dance,” suggesting that the performance functioned as a statement of presence in a political climate often marked by contentious immigration debates and nationalist rhetoric. Rather than presenting overt political slogans, the symbolism operated through visibility: Latino culture on the largest televised stage in the United States.

To me, that is what made the performance powerful. It was not aggressive. It did not attack policy. It celebrated identity. The choice to foreground Spanish was not exclusionary—it was reflective of the lived reality of millions of Americans. In a country where Spanish is the second most spoken language, hearing it dominate the halftime stage felt less like disruption and more like acknowledgment. Representation, in this case, became a form of quiet resistance.

President Donald Trump responded sharply. According to ABC News (2026), Trump called the halftime show a “slap in the face to our country.” Reuters (2026) reported that he described the performance as “absolutely terrible,” while People (2026) noted his criticism that “nobody understands a word this guy is saying.” His reaction framed the performance not as a cultural celebration but as a deviation from traditional American norms.

The criticism did not stop with the President. Entertainment Weekly (2026) reported that House Republicans called for an investigation into the halftime show, citing concerns over its choreography and presentation. The backlash extended beyond language into broader anxieties about morality, cultural standards, and national identity. Meanwhile, reactions were far from uniformly negative. The Guardian (2026) documented widespread praise from artists and public figures who described the performance as joyful and affirming, with some viewers saying it made them feel “proudly American.”

That divide reveals something significant. The controversy was not really about music or choreography. It was about competing visions of America. One vision views national identity as rooted in linguistic and cultural uniformity. The other sees American identity as evolving, multilingual, and shaped by migration and diversity. Bad Bunny’s performance fell squarely into the latter camp.

In my view, the halftime show reflected the America that already exists rather than the one some political leaders nostalgically imagine. A multilingual performance on the Super Bowl stage does not diminish American identity—it expands it. Cultural confidence means embracing diversity, not fearing it. The polarized reaction to the show underscores how entertainment events have become symbolic arenas where broader political tensions play out.

Ultimately, the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show was more than a concert. It was a cultural mirror. Whether one saw it as celebratory or confrontational depended largely on how one defines Americanness itself. The performance—and the reaction from President Trump—demonstrates that debates over language, culture, and belonging remain central to American political life.

References

ABC News. (2026). Trump calls Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show a “slap in the face to our country.” https://abcnews.go.com/US/trump-calls-bad-bunnys-super-bowl-halftime-show/story?id=129980124

CBS News. (2026). Bad Bunny will headline the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bad-bunny-2026-super-bowl-halftime-show/

El País. (2026, February 8). Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl: The protest dance of Latinos in the US. https://english.elpais.com/culture/2026-02-08/bad-bunnys-super-bowl-the-protest-dance-of-latinos-in-the-us.html

Entertainment Weekly. (2026). House Republicans call to investigate Bad Bunny Super Bowl halftime show over “widespread twerking, grinding, pelvic thrusts.” https://ew.com/house-republicans-call-for-investigation-of-bad-bunny-super-bowl-halftime-show-11904174

People. (2026). Trump lashes out at Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show: “Nobody understands a word this guy is saying.” https://people.com/super-bowl-2026-trump-lashes-out-bad-bunny-halftime-show-11902396

Reuters. (2026, February 9). Trump says Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime was “absolutely terrible.” https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-says-bad-bunnys-super-bowl-halftime-show-was-absolutely-terrible-2026-02-09/

The Guardian. (2026, February 9). “Made me feel proudly American”: Stars react to Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl show. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/feb/09/reactions-bad-bunny-super-bowl-halftime-show

Disappointed in Senator Durbin

By Katherine Walter

On November 11, 2025

In Dick Durbin

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin speaks during the Illinois Democratic County Chairs’ Association brunch on Aug. 13, 2025, in Springfield, Illinois. (Dominic Di Palermo/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

When I was in college, I volunteered on the campaign of Dick Durbin for his first run for the U.S. Senate seat for Illinois. I remember knocking on doors and speaking to voters about his vision for fairness, compassion, and opportunity. Over the decades since then, I’ve admired his consistency, integrity, and leadership. From his advocacy for civil rights and consumer protections to his steadfast defense of democracy, Senator Durbin has been a voice I have long trusted.

That’s why his recent decision to side with Republicans on a measure to end the federal government shutdown deeply troubles me. According to multiple reports, in November 2025, Senator Durbin joined seven other Democrats in voting to advance a Republican-led continuing resolution intended to reopen the government (Sfondeles, 2025; Grisales & Garrett, 2025). While the bill provided temporary funding and back pay for federal workers, it failed to extend the enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits—a lifeline that has helped millions of Americans maintain access to health insurance since 2021 (Associated Press, 2025).

The expiration of these enhanced ACA tax credits could cause premiums to skyrocket, pushing millions off their insurance plans and destabilizing the individual health insurance market (Associated Press, 2025). For years, Democrats have fought to expand and secure these subsidies precisely because they save lives. Abandoning that effort, even temporarily, risks the health and well-being of ordinary families who cannot absorb the cost of rising premiums.

Senator Durbin defended his vote by calling the legislation “imperfect” but “necessary” to alleviate the growing strain on federal workers and agencies during the prolonged shutdown (Grisales & Garrett, 2025). Yet to me, this decision reflects a dangerous form of pragmatism—one that accepts short-term political relief at the expense of long-term justice.

Even more alarming is the fact that this measure arose from Republican efforts to hold the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) hostage in budget negotiations (Potter et al., 2025). Forcing millions of Americans to face hunger in order to extract political concessions is beyond comprehension and morally unacceptable. It reveals the degree to which the GOP is willing to use the most vulnerable members of society as bargaining chips—a tactic that, if not strongly resisted, will surely be used again in the future.

The move sets a disturbing precedent: if political leverage can be gained by threatening to withhold food and healthcare from those in need, what moral boundary remains? Senator Durbin, as the second-ranking Democrat in the Senate, had the power to send a message that such tactics would never be rewarded. Instead, his vote may embolden those who see cruelty as an effective negotiation strategy.

I do not write this out of anger, but out of heartbreak. I have admired Senator Durbin for much of my adult life. His record on immigration, education, and reproductive rights remains admirable. Yet in this moment, he seems to have forgotten that principles, not expedience, are what distinguish true leadership from mere management.

Ending the shutdown matters—but ending it on Republican terms and without protecting healthcare and nutrition assistance for millions sends the wrong message about what our values are worth. Illinois Democrats, including several prominent leaders, have voiced similar disappointment, warning that this compromise “is not a deal—it’s an empty promise” (Crisp, 2025).

As one of the people who once proudly campaigned for Senator Durbin’s first Senate victory, I hope he will remember that Illinoisans have long expected moral courage from him—not accommodation. The enhanced ACA tax credits must be renewed, and SNAP must be protected, not weaponized. The lives and dignity of millions of Americans depend on it.

References

Associated Press. (2025, November 10). An emerging shutdown deal doesn’t extend expiring health subsidies. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/2b5ae3651ff16783a00e00dc1ce264bf

Crisp, J. (2025, November 10). Illinois Democrats at odds with Durbin over vote to end shutdown. Daily Herald. https://www.dailyherald.com/20251110/us-congress-politics/illinois-democrats-at-odds-with-durbin-over-vote-to-end-shutdown/

Grisales, C., & Garrett, L. (2025, November 10). Senators, including Dick Durbin, take first step toward reopening the government after historic shutdown. WGLT (Illinois Public Radio). https://wglt.org/illinois/2025-11-10/senators-including-dick-durbin-take-first-step-toward-reopening-the-government-after-historic-shutdown

Potter, D., Franco, M. A., Peters, S., Wooten, T., Stimers, P., Roberson, J. E., & DeLacy, C. (2025, November 10). Senate advances funding bill to end record shutdown. Holland & Knight Alert. https://www.hklaw.com/en/insights/publications/2025/11/senate-advances-funding-bill-to-end-record-shutdown

Sfondeles, T. (2025, November 10). Sen. Dick Durbin facing backlash once again for joining GOP in measure to end government shutdown. Chicago Sun-Times. https://chicago.suntimes.com/us-senate/2025/11/10/sen-dick-durbin-compromise-measure-federal-government-shutdown-end-democrats-backlash

Sutherland, C. (2025, November 10). The eight senators who broke with Democrats to end the government shutdown. TIME. https://time.com/7332610/8-senators-broke-with-democrats-to-end-government-shutdown/

The Problem with “Owning the Libs”

By Katherine Walter

On September 20, 2025

In political science

Illustration contrasting “own the libs” cruelty with progressive compassion. (Image generated by ChatGPT, 2025)

In recent years, the phrase “own the libs” has become a rallying cry for many conservatives. At first glance, it might seem like harmless political banter—a way to laugh at the other side. But taken seriously, this mindset reveals something troubling about how politics is being practiced in the United States. It shows a shift away from solving problems and toward something much darker: treating politics as a game where the goal is to make other people suffer.

The idea of owning the libs is not about making life better for ordinary people. Instead, it’s about celebrating when someone else is angry, humiliated, or hurt. Passing laws that restrict healthcare, rolling back rights for LGBTQ+ people, or undermining voting access aren’t framed as solutions to real problems. They are framed as victories precisely because they upset progressives. Cruelty itself becomes the goal.

But politics should not be about harming others—it should be about helping people. That is the central difference between the conservative “own the libs” mindset and progressive politics. Progressives, at their best, focus on policies that improve people’s lives: expanding access to healthcare, making schools stronger, reducing poverty, and protecting the freedom to live authentically. The success of progressive politics is measured in lives improved, not tears shed by political opponents.

This difference matters because it points to two fundamentally different visions for our society. One vision treats politics as a contest of domination, where the worth of an idea lies in how much it angers “the other side.” The other vision treats politics as a tool for compassion, where the worth of an idea lies in how much it improves the lives of our neighbors.

Of course, no political movement is perfect. Progressives sometimes stumble, and not every policy works out as intended. But there is an important moral distinction between trying to help people and trying to hurt them. If our politics is driven by spite, we will end up with policies that deepen division and suffering. If our politics is driven by empathy, we have at least a chance at building a society that is fairer, freer, and more humane.

The question is not whether liberals or conservatives “win.” The real question is: do we want our politics to be about cruelty—or about compassion?

Trump’s Threat to Militarize Chicago: An Authoritarian Overreach

By Katherine Walter

On August 28, 2025

In Donald Trump

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – AUGUST 25: Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker speaks to the press while on board a water taxi passing Trump Tower on the Chicago River on August 25, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. Pritzker spoke about about President Donald Trump’s plan to send National Guard troops into Chicago. Recent reports have stated that Trump plans to deploy troops to the city as early as next month. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

In August 2025, President Donald Trump once again threatened to use military force in a major American city—this time Chicago. In remarks to reporters, he escalated his rhetoric by calling Chicago “a disaster” and “a killing field,” arguing that the city required federal intervention to restore order (Politico, 2025). While presented as a public safety measure, this plan has little to do with crime reduction and much more to do with political theater. By targeting Democratic-led cities like Chicago, Trump is reinforcing his strongman image while undermining constitutional principles of local governance. His approach reflects a dangerous authoritarian drift, particularly given his earlier actions in Washington, D.C.

Chicago has become a focal point of Trump’s political attacks. Reports indicate that his administration has explored not only the deployment of the National Guard, but also using ICE agents with potential operations staged out of Naval Station Great Lakes (Nakashima & Arkin, 2025). Local officials, however, have responded with strong resistance. Governor J.B. Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson have emphasized that the President lacks unilateral authority to deploy troops in Illinois, and they are preparing legal strategies to prevent such action. Advocacy groups in Chicago have also begun organizing both legal and grassroots resistance, arguing that the introduction of federal troops would erode community trust and criminalize immigrant populations already under strain (Klayman & Shepardson, 2025).

At the heart of this conflict lies a legal and constitutional dilemma. The military is not designed to perform law enforcement duties. Under the Posse Comitatus Act, federal military forces are largely prohibited from engaging in domestic policing. Even the National Guard, which can support state governments in emergencies, is meant to operate under state—not federal—control unless extraordinary conditions justify nationalization. For Trump to act, he would likely invoke the Insurrection Act, a rarely used measure intended for situations of open rebellion or insurrection. Yet Chicago is not in rebellion; in fact, violent crime in the city has dropped significantly in recent years, with homicides falling by more than 50 percent since 2021 (Klayman & Shepardson, 2025). Governor Pritzker has rightly argued that the Guard is not needed in Chicago, describing Trump’s claim of a crime crisis as exaggerated and politically opportunistic (Associated Press, 2025b).

This political opportunism is perhaps the most telling aspect of the proposed deployment. Trump has not threatened to send troops to conservative cities facing crime problems; instead, his threats have focused squarely on Democratic-led cities such as Chicago, Baltimore, and Los Angeles. Analysts see this pattern as a deliberate political strategy aimed at energizing his base by portraying “blue cities” as out of control and hostile to law and order. In reality, these deployments are less about public safety and more about consolidating power and projecting an authoritarian style of governance (Associated Press, 2025a).

The events in Washington, D.C. earlier in August provide a striking precedent. Trump declared a “crime emergency” in the District despite evidence that crime was at a thirty-year low. He then assumed control over the Metropolitan Police Department, deployed the D.C. National Guard, and placed federal law enforcement agencies in charge of local operations (Douglas, 2025). The move was widely criticized as unconstitutional, with the D.C. Attorney General filing legal challenges and polls showing overwhelming local opposition. Scholars such as Lawrence Douglas (2025) have noted that these actions were not responses to genuine crises but rather examples of governance by political spectacle, in which the appearance of strength matters more than the rule of law.

Chicago now finds itself in danger of becoming the next stage for this spectacle. The city has made progress in reducing violence through community-based initiatives, investments in social programs, and reimagined policing strategies. Introducing federal troops threatens to undo these gains, potentially sparking unrest rather than restoring order. More troublingly, it normalizes the use of military force in domestic political conflicts, setting a precedent that undermines democratic governance at both the local and national level.

Ultimately, Trump’s threat to militarize Chicago represents an abuse of power. It is not a measured response to a public safety crisis, but a political maneuver designed to intimidate Democratic strongholds and consolidate executive authority. The military is not trained for law enforcement, nor is it legally authorized to serve as a domestic police force under ordinary conditions. By framing his actions as necessary to restore order, Trump is masking authoritarian tactics in the language of public safety. If unchallenged, this strategy risks eroding the democratic foundations of American governance and moving the nation closer to a model of executive domination rather than shared power.

In moments such as this, vigilance is essential. The people of Chicago—and Americans more broadly—must recognize that the debate is not truly about crime but about power. Allowing a president to deploy troops for political theater undermines both constitutional law and democratic norms. Trump’s threat to send the military into Chicago should be understood for what it is: an authoritarian abuse of power that endangers not just one city, but the principles of democracy itself.

References

Associated Press. (2025a, August 27). Democratic governors look to derail Trump’s plan to send National Guard to Chicago and other cities. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/988a659d9d13deb1e7a8f52cf47efef8

Associated Press. (2025b, August 25). Guard not needed in Chicago, Pritzker tells AP during tour of city to counter Trump’s crime claims. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/2023e25445c45a3f0f4d3513e8eb2ac4

Douglas, L. (2025, August 27). Trump’s militarization of the DC police was just an opening salvo. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/aug/27/january-6-trump-chicago-military

Klayman, B., & Shepardson, D. (2025, August 28). In Chicago, locals prepare for Trump’s possible deployment of National Guard. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/chicago-locals-prepare-trumps-possible-deployment-national-guard-2025-08-28

Nakashima, E., & Arkin, D. (2025, August 27). ICE asks for access to Chicago-area Navy base to assist operations. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/08/27/trump-chicago-ice-military

Politico. (2025, August 25). Trump reiterates threat to send National Guard to Chicago. Politico. https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/25/trump-national-guard-chicago-00523253