Donald Trump attacks Rihanna for performing “worst” Super Bowl halftime show

Donald Trump, the former U.S. president who is currently running for another White House bid, attacked global superstar Rihanna after her highly anticipated performance at the Super Bowl LVII halftime show.

In the singer’s first public stage show in seven years, Rihanna delivered a 13-minute performance packed with some of her biggest hits. Wearing an all-red outfit and surrounded by thousands of bright lights, the 34-year-old opened the show on an elevated platform high above the stadium and belted hits including ‘We Found Love’, ‘Umbrella’, ‘Only Girl (In The World)’ and ‘Diamonds', among other fan favourites.

Perhaps the most newsworthy moment from the night, however, was when the singer revealed her pronounced baby bump to the audience. Representatives for Rihanna have confirmed that the singer is expecting her second child, after giving birth to her son in May 2022.

"When you become a mom, there's something that just happens where you feel like you could take on the world. You can do anything, and the Super Bowl is one of the biggest stages in the world,” the Barbados singer said at the Apple Music pre-game press conference. "And it’s important for me to do this, this year it’s important for representation and it’s important for my son to see that."

Despite undertaking and, in the minds of her millions of fans, mastering her halftime show performance, Trump attacked the artist with strong words on his own social media platform, Truth Social.

“EPIC FAIL: Rihanna gave, without question, the single worst Halftime Show in Super Bowl history,” the former American commander-in-chief wrote.

“This after insulting far more than half of our Nation, which is already in serious DECLINE, with her foul and insulting language,” he continued in his Sunday night post.

Trump’s comments were made in response to former White House physician and member of Congress, Ronny Jackson, who wrote on the platform that the singer was “spewing degenerate filth”. This was in reference to a photo of Rihanna next to a car spray painted with the words “Fuck Trump” that was posted in August 2020.

Despite these remarks, the superstar’s halftime show has received rave reviews from fans and critics alike. A video of the performance posted on the NFL's YouTube channel already has over 14 million views and over 800,000 likes. Hot Press’ Sandra Black wrote that the singer hadn’t lost her natural gift of performing when she took the global stage. “Despite her seven year hiatus, the Barbadian singer hadn’t lost her natural proclivity for performing, taking to the stage with an ease, and commanding the attention of her audience with the bold attitude she’s known for.”

Rihanna’s Super Bowl halftime performance can be watched below.

Rihanna's full Superbowl Halftime Performance pic.twitter.com/2CrDybfJJn

— 🎥 (@megsmedia) February 13, 2023