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America's top football league has no plans to remove Bad Bunny as the star attraction for the Super Bowl halftime show, Commissioner Roger Goodell announced on Wednesday.

In doing so, Goodell stood by the choice to place the Puerto Rican artist on the league’s biggest stage, a move that drew negative reactions from the former president and his political base.

Goodell commented on the debate during his news conference following the annual fall owners meeting. This marks the first time he has publicly remarked on the appointment, which has attracted worldwide attention, including a rise in online plays of Bad Bunny’s music alongside opposition.

“It’s carefully thought through,” the commissioner remarked. “I doubt we’ve ever selected an artist where we avoided some blowback or disapproval. It’s pretty hard to do when you have literally hundreds of millions of people tuning in.”

The reggaeton star, born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, has been a outspoken critic of Trump. He lately opted to hold a month-long concert series in Puerto Rico, skipping performances in the continental United States, citing concerns about the expulsion of Latinos.

The artist, who performs primarily in his native language, is anticipated to continue this at the Super Bowl.

“We believe it’s going to be a spectacular performance,” Goodell commented. “He is aware of the platform that he’s on, and in my view it’s going to be exciting and a unifying experience.”

The host team are hosting the championship game on February 8 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. There is uncertainty if the former president intends to attend, though he has made appearing in person at major sporting events a significant part of his second term.

Trump during a discussion on right-leaning media the outlet said he had “no knowledge of” the performer.

“I don’t know his identity,” Trump stated. “I don’t know why they’re doing it. It seems absurd. And then, they blame it on an outside booker they contracted to select entertainment. I think it’s completely unreasonable.”

Goodell defended the decision on Wednesday, clarifying it was made because of the artist’s immense popularity.

“He ranks among the top and most popular performers globally,” Goodell affirmed. “This is exactly what we aim to achieve. It’s an important stage for us. It serves as a key component to the entertainment value.”