Singer Jelly Roll struggles to make it through his song after noticing a young fan who recently lost her mother. The girl was seen crying in the stands while holding up a sign about her mom. “What a strong young lady it takes to be here representing your mama like that. And I'm not sure that I can say anything that can make it better…” “I hope you know that it's okay to not be okay. But I promise you, it's going to be all right.” “We're going to dedicate this to her…”

Prediction: By the end of Trump’s term, a major Christian musician (e.g., Crowder, Brandon Lake, Lecrae) will headline the Super Bowl halftime show—and it will be awesome. Here’s why I say that: 1. Public displays of religiosity aren’t just acceptable now, they’re considered cool. Pro and D1 athletes begin their post-game interviews with professions of faith and gratitude. UFC fighters are praying with each other before matches; Instagram models are wearing crucifix necklaces. After years of overt statements of faith being deemed a faux pas, the pendulum is swinging hard in the other direction. 2. Viewership is suffering. I can’t tell you how many parents I hear say something like “We have to turn the TV off or get the kids out of the room before the half time show starts, in case there’s inappropriate lyrics or dancing” (many of the people from whom I hear this, BTW, aren’t even necessarily religious). Call these people prudes if you want, but their numbers are material, and their viewership matters to advertisers paying millions of dollars per commercial spot. 3. The NFL was a key element of the woke vanguard in the entertainment industry, much of which is now moving in the opposite direction as quickly as they can. Over the last year and a half—beginning with the Bud Light boycott in April 2023 and culminating in Trump’s resounding victory two weeks ago), ordinary Americans have started to make their voices heard, with their wallets and their votes alike. Team owners, who have paid billions of dollars to acquire their franchises, now feel more pressure to avoid angering middle-of-the-road American consumers than they do to placate woke social-media agitators. 4. Many prominent Christian acts are objectively great entertainers, and they have the audiences to show for it. Lauren Daigle has 3M Instagram followers; Brandon Lake has another 2M. David Crowder routinely sells out massive concert venues. No, they don’t have the same level of recognition that a JLo or a Rihanna does, but some of their songs are just as well known as most contemporary pop music, especially among the middle-age, middle-class, red state demographics that the NFL is trying to avoid losing. It might sound improbable today, but give it four years. You’ll be surprised at the extent to which—and the speed with which—mainstream culture shifts.