"Without her 'Stylist,' she would be UTTERLY INFERIOR. Lacking in all aspects and with ABSOLUTELY NO ARTISTIC APTITUDE!" Trump posted on his Truth Social account. This attack was in direct response to a post from Representative Ronny Jackson, who had expressed his belief that Rihanna should not be the performer. Jackson criticized the singer for having spray-painted criticism of Trump on a car at a ranch in Amarillo, Texas, in 2020.
In 2018, Rihanna achieved a legal victory over Trump when her performing rights company, Broadcast Music Inc., informed the then-president that he was no longer allowed to use her music at his rallies. Since then, they have been at odds with each other.
Rihanna was openly critical of Trump during his presidency, and now Trump is reciprocating that criticism as she prepares for the most significant moment of her career.
This will be Rihanna's first performance at a halftime show in years.