Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood Headline Turning Point USA’s “All American Halftime Show” – A Patriotic Counter to Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Spectacle

October 17, 2025—In a bold declaration of cultural defiance that has electrified conservative circles and sparked heated debates across the political spectrum, Turning Point USA (TPUSA) has unveiled its “All American Halftime Show,” a star-studded alternative to the NFL’s Super Bowl 60 halftime extravaganza. Led by Erika Kirk, the resilient widow of the late TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk, who was tragically assassinated on September 10, 2025, during a campus event in Utah, the show promises to champion “Faith, Family, and Freedom” with an unapologetically patriotic lineup. Anchoring the bill are country music titans Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood, whose decades-spanning legacy of heartfelt anthems and unyielding American ethos make them the perfect avatars for this red-white-and-blue riposte. Set to stream live opposite the NFL’s February 8, 2026, broadcast from Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California—where Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny will headline the official Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show—the event poses a provocative question: Which halftime will America tune into?

Erika Kirk’s announcement, delivered with quiet steel on The Charlie Kirk Show podcast on October 14, was a poignant extension of her late husband’s vision. Charlie Kirk, the 31-year-old firebrand who built TPUSA into a powerhouse mobilizing millions of young conservatives, was gunned down mid-speech at Utah Valley University by 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, who faces the death penalty if convicted. Kirk’s widow, a former Miss Arizona USA (2012) and faith-based entrepreneur, has since assumed leadership of the organization, vowing in tearful addresses to amplify his legacy. “This isn’t just a show—it’s a moment for America to remember who we are, what we stand for, and how music can bring us back together,” Erika stated, her voice steady despite the raw grief etched in her eyes. The event, subtitled “The Perfect Game,” will air on TPUSA’s streaming platform and conservative networks like Newsmax, promising fireworks, military tributes, and faith-infused interludes alongside the music.

At the helm are Brooks and Yearwood, the power couple whose 34-year marriage and combined 150 million albums sold embody the heartland values TPUSA seeks to exalt. Garth Brooks, 63, the best-selling solo artist in U.S. history with 148 million records moved, is no stranger to massive stages—his 2014-2017 World Tour with Yearwood grossed $300 million across 390 dates. Yet Brooks has navigated controversy: a 2022 Bud Light partnership drew backlash from some quarters for its “woke” undertones, but his steadfast support for veterans and disaster relief aligns seamlessly with TPUSA’s ethos. “Garth and Trisha aren’t just singers—they’re storytellers of the American spirit,” Erika Kirk enthused in the reveal, highlighting their duet In Another’s Eyes as a metaphor for unity. Yearwood, 61, a three-time Grammy winner with hits like How Do I Live (1997’s chart-topper), brings her own pedigree: her Trisha’s Kitchen empire and 2020 Emmy for Trisha’s Southern Kitchen underscore her role as a cultural hearthkeeper. Together, they’ll perform a medley blending Friends in Low Places and She’s in Love with the Boy, interspersed with tributes to military families and faith leaders.

The lineup doesn’t stop there. Speculation swirls around additional acts: Kid Rock’s rowdy patriotism, Lee Greenwood’s God Bless the USA, and perhaps a surprise from Carrie Underwood or Riley Gaines, the swimmer-turned-activist who’s become TPUSA’s darling. Faith-driven segments will feature prayer vigils and testimonials from Kirk’s inner circle, while military honors—complete with flyovers and veteran spotlights—aim to evoke the “forgotten man” Trump championed. “We’re not dividing—we’re defining what makes us American,” Kirk emphasized, a subtle jab at Bad Bunny’s selection, announced September 29 by Apple Music and Roc Nation. The Puerto Rican phenom, Spotify’s third-most-streamed artist in 2024 with 80 million monthly listeners, represents global fusion—Latin trap rhythms and cultural pride—but to TPUSA, it’s emblematic of the NFL’s “coastal elite” drift. “Viewers deserve an option that celebrates the heartland, not Hollywood,” Kirk added, echoing backlash from figures like Jack Posobiec, who floated the counter-show idea on September 30.

This isn’t mere spectacle—it’s a movement. TPUSA, under Kirk’s stewardship, has ballooned to 3 million student members since Charlie’s founding in 2012 at age 18, raising $100 million annually for conservative causes. Erika, 36, met Charlie at a 2018 TPUSA event; their whirlwind romance yielded two children—a 3-year-old daughter and 1-year-old son—before tragedy struck. In emotional memorials, like the September 21 State Farm Stadium service attended by Trump and JD Vance, she forgave Robinson publicly, declaring, “The answer to hate is love.” Her leadership has galvanized donors, with post-assassination funds surging 400%, per internal TPUSA data. The Halftime Show, produced by conservative media outfit BlazeTV, eyes a $10 million budget, rivaling the NFL’s $20 million spectacle but amplified by viral patriotism.

Reactions have polarized predictably. Conservatives hail it as “the real Super Bowl soul,” with #AllAmericanHalftime trending at 4.2 million posts on X by Friday dawn, fans memeing Bad Bunny as “the wrong bunny for America.” Liberals decry it as “MAGA minstrelsy,” with The New York Times op-ed slamming TPUSA’s “youth radicalization” amid Kirk’s history of anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric. Brooks and Yearwood, who’ve shied from overt politics—Brooks endorsed Biden in 2020, Yearwood focused on hunger relief—face scrutiny; yet their apolitical Americana (Brooks’ 2023 Vegas residency with Yearwood drew 1 million fans) shields them. “Music unites—period,” Brooks tweeted post-announcement, echoing Yearwood’s 2024 CMT mantra: “We’re for the people, not the parties.”

As Super Bowl Sunday looms, the duel—Bad Bunny’s global groove versus Brooks and Yearwood’s heartland hymn—mirrors America’s schism. For TPUSA, it’s redemption for Kirk’s “incomplete work,” as Erika tearfully noted at his memorial. “Charlie dreamed of a united America—this is his jam session in the sky.” Whether it’s a ratings rout or a cultural clarion, one thing’s clear: In the battle for America’s airwaves, faith, family, and freedom just tuned in loud. Viewers, choose your channel—the heartland’s calling.