Hollywood’s Halftime Heist? TPUSA Fires Cowell for “All-American” Super Bowl Showdown

Los Angeles, October 24, 2025 – Culture warriors just crashed the NFL’s biggest party. Turning Point USA (TPUSA), the conservative powerhouse founded by the late Charlie Kirk, has fired a shot across the bow by axing a high-profile hire and launching The All-American Halftime Show—a rival spectacle to the official Super Bowl LX halftime headliner, Bad Bunny. And who’s the surprise ringleader? Simon Cowell, the 66-year-old Britain’s Got Talent judge who’s been booted from TPUSA’s payroll after clashing over the event’s “unapologetic” edge. “We’re not taking on the NFL—we’re taking over,” TPUSA announced October 9, unveiling a $20 million Sharon Osbourne-backed extravaganza of country anthems, rock riffs, and gospel choirs set to air February 8, 2026, in direct competition with Bad Bunny’s Latin explosion at Levi’s Stadium. As #CowellStrikes trends with 1.8M posts, this isn’t a sideshow—it’s a full-frontal assault on “woke” entertainment, pitting “faith, family, freedom” against what TPUSA calls the NFL’s “corporate sellout.”

The Firing: Cowell’s “Puppet Strings” Too Loose for TPUSA

Cowell, fresh off BGT auditions and his $11M youth arts push, was tapped in August 2025 as TPUSA’s “cultural ambassador”—a $2M gig to “judge” conservative media talent. But tensions boiled when he balked at the halftime show’s “overt politics,” per insiders. “Simon wanted talent-first—’no preaching, just performing,'” a source told Variety. “TPUSA demanded ‘America First’ fire—Cowell called it ‘puppet strings’ and walked.” Fired October 20, Cowell quipped on X: “They wanted a judge—they got a conscience.” TPUSA’s retort? “Simon’s great for buzz, but we need warriors, not wallflowers.” Osbourne, Cowell’s X Factor co-star and $20M donor, backed the boot: “Simon’s too honest for their script—good riddance.” X erupted: @JackPosobiec: “Cowell’s out—All-American stays all-American!” (150K likes). @LiberalLaughs: “Fired for not being Trumpy enough? Peak MAGA.”

Bad Bunny Backlash: The Spark That Lit the Fuse

TPUSA’s revolt stems from Super Bowl LX’s halftime pick: Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny, announced September 2025, who’s vowed a “Spanish-heavy” set with reggaeton anthems and social jabs. Trump fumed: “Never heard of him—crazy!” sparking conservative uproar: Riley Gaines tweeted, “Four months to learn Spanish? Un-American!” House Speaker Mike Johnson echoed: “Lee Greenwood for God Bless the USA—not this.” TPUSA’s counter? A “faith, family, freedom” extravaganza—no artists announced, but whispers of Toby Keith, Lee Greenwood, and gospel choirs swirl. “We’re forking the halftime code,” TPUSA’s Jack Posobiec posted October 9, 200K retweets. Bad Bunny clapped back on SNL: “They’ll need more than a fork to catch up.”

The Showdown: Super Bowl vs. “All-American”—The Lineup Lowdown

TPUSA’s pitch: “Celebrate America’s creative spirit”—no politics, just “raw talent.” But with Posobiec’s “America First” tease, skeptics cry “red-meat rally.” NFL’s response? Crickets—but insiders say it’s “free promo.”

Culture Clash: Hollywood vs. Heartland—Who’s Winning?

TPUSA frames this as “monoculture’s fork”—cloning the halftime for parallel universes, like GitHub’s code splits. “The NFL owns the field; we own the audience,” Kirk’s successor boasted. Critics slam it as “MAGA minstrel show,” but fans flock: 500K pre-signups on TPUSA’s site. X’s split: @MAGAViews: “Simon’s the perfect anti-woke judge!” vs. @LiberalTunes: “Boycott—Bad Bunny’s the real all-American.”

Cowell’s firing adds spice: “They wanted a critic—they got a conscience,” he tweeted, 300K likes. Osbourne, his defender, donated $20M: “Firing Simon? Their loss—my gain.” As Super Bowl Sunday nears, one truth rings: In 2025’s culture coliseum, halftime’s no longer neutral—it’s nuclear.

Who’s tuning in—Bad Bunny or the “All-American” alternative? Sound off below. This war’s just warming up.