Former US president Donald Trump has taken a bizarre swing at Rihanna’s Super Bowl half-time performance.
The singer took to the stage at State Farm Arena, Arizona on Sunday (local time), appearing in Apple Music’s first half-time show.
The extravagant performance, viewed by an estimated 118.7 million people around the world, was Rihanna’s first live music show in five years.
The star belted out 13 of her biggest hits, including Umbrella, Diamonds and We Found Love atop floating platforms high above the arena.
She also used the performance to reveal that she is expecting her second child, wearing an unzipped boilersuit that proudly displayed her growing bump.
Shortly after Rihanna left the stage, Mr Trump took to his own social media platform, Truth Social, to sound out his disappointment.
“EPIC FAIL: Rihanna gave, without question, the single worst Halftime Show in Super Bowl history,” he wrote.
“This after insulting far more than half of our Nation, which is already in serious DECLINE, with her foul and insulting language.”
Mr Trump finished off his bizarre tirade with a jab at the singer’s all-red outfit: “Also, so much for her ‘Stylist!'”
The former president’s words prompted a strong reaction from Rihanna’s fanbase.
Television personality Nancy Lee Grahn commented that the “whole world is loving Rihanna right now”.
“Except Donald Trump, [who is] crying in his Diet Coke,” she added.
Another referenced one of Rihanna’s epic Twitter takedowns of fellow pop singer Ciara.
“Good luck with booking that presidency you speak of,” wrote Paper Magazine fashion editor Mario Abad.
Democratic representative Maxine Waters also came to Rihanna’s defence.
“Donald Trump is just mad because the multibillionaire Rihanna is richer than he is, and also more talented. You go girl!”
Another flipped his original insult on its head.
“EPIC FAIL: Trump gave, without question, the single worst presidency in American history. This after insulting far more than half of our nation, which is already in serious DECLINE, with his foul and insulting language,” one user tweeted.
“Also, so much for his ‘Publicist’.”
Many mused that Mr Trump was in no position to comment on the star’s fashion choices.
Tweet from @nobedevil
‘No talent’
It was the second time in just days that the mouthy former president had taken aim at the singer.
On Thursday, Mr Trump gave Rihanna and her stylist a backhanded compliment.
“Without her ‘Stylist’ she’d be NOTHING,” he wrote, also on Truth Social.
“Bad everything, and NO TALENT.”
As for Rihanna’s thoughts on the controversial former president, she made it clear that she wasn’t a fan in the lead-up to the 2020 election.
Weeks before the polls, Rihanna spray painted a pointed message for Mr Trump at a spray paint installation in Texas.
“F–k Trump,” she wrote, captioning her Instagram picture “81 days”, letting her fans know how many days there were before the election.
‘No reason’
The former president has been blogging on his own social media platform Truth Social since he lost access to his Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube accounts following the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the US Capitol.
His Twitter account was reinstated by new owner Elon Musk in November.
Meta has since followed suit, reinstating his Instagram and Facebook profiles earlier this month.
Mr Trump, however, is yet to make any additional posts to the three platforms. In November, he said he saw “no reason” to return to Twitter.
“I don’t see any reason for it. They have a lot of problems at Twitter, you see what’s going on. It may make it, it may not make it,” he wrote.
He doubled down in a Truth Social post later that same month.
“Vote now with positivity, but don’t worry, we aren’t going anywhere. Truth Social is special!”
