Boxer and influencer Jake Paul tried to organize a boycott of the Super Bowl halftime show, but his plan quickly fell apart. California Governor Gavin Newsom’s team responded harshly to Paul’s social media post on X, calling him a “little MAGA snowflake” with a snowflake emoji.
According to Huffpost, Paul asked his millions of followers to turn off Bad Bunny’s halftime performance on Sunday. He wanted to send a message to big companies about their choices. Paul wrote on X, “Purposefully turning off the halftime show. Let’s rally together and show big corporations they can’t just do whatever they want without consequences (which equals viewership for them).” He added, “You are their benefit. Realize you have power. Turn off this halftime.”
Paul’s main reason for the boycott was wrong. He said he couldn’t support “A fake American citizen performing who publicly hates America.” But Bad Bunny was born in Puerto Rico, which is a U.S. territory. This makes Bad Bunny an American citizen.
Paul’s false claim about Bad Bunny’s citizenship sparked backlash
People quickly pointed out that Paul got this basic fact wrong. The internet criticized him for trying to start a major protest based on false information. Paul has faced similar controversies before, including potential boxing bans that could impact his fighting career.
The situation became worse because of Paul’s own ties to Puerto Rico. In 2023, Paul bought a home there. After a 2024 fight, he wore a Puerto Rican flag on his shorts and said he was “reppin” Puerto Rico. Governor Newsom’s “MAGA snowflake” comment was about Paul’s public support for President Donald Trump. Paul officially endorsed Trump for president in 2024 and has been a strong supporter. Despite controversy outside the ring, his fight strategy continues to evolve for upcoming matches.
Paul’s support grew stronger after the assassination attempt on Trump. He wrote on social media, “If it isn’t apparent enough who God wants to win / When you try and kill God’s angels and saviors of the world it just makes them bigger / Good beats evil every time,” adding #Trump2024. His boycott attempt failed as people criticized both his false claims and his contradictory actions.
Paul was also called out for his hypocrisy as he lives in Puerto Rico himself. He and his brother Logan have been living in the US territory since 2021. “Jake Paul calls Bad Bunny a ‘fake American’ for being born in Puerto Rico. Jake Paul currently lives in Puerto Rico to avoid paying American Taxes. You cant make this up,” one user wrote on X.
Published: Feb 9, 2026 11:45 am