Green Day Just Called Out Trump After the President Refused to Attend the Super Bowl & Called Them a ‘Terrible Choice’
Green Day has never been part of the MAGA agenda. The California rock band has called out Donald Trump and his administration in many of their music performances, and it doesn’t look like they’re stopping any time soon.
In recent years, the band—consisting of members Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt, and Tré Cool—has replaced the lyrics of their iconic hit “American Idiot.” The song, written in 2004, initially included the lyrics “I’m not a part of a redneck agenda.” Now, when performing the song live, Armstrong sings, “I’m not part of the MAGA agenda.” The song itself, and the titular album it was written for, was a direct criticism of George W. Bush’s administration and the Iraq war.
Armstrong also takes a jab at Vice President JD Vance through revised lyrics of “Jesus of Suburbia.” So what’s the beef between the president and the band?
What has Green Day said about Donald Trump?
After Donald Trump was elected into office in November 2016, the band led a chant “No Trump, no KKK, no fascist USA” during an appearance at the American Music Awards.
During the first days of the first Trump administration, Billie Joe Armstrong wrote on Instagram about his immigration executive orders that targeted countries with large Muslim populations: “I feel like I’m in a state of shock. The executive orders Trump is signing feels like a vendetta.. Trump is not only taking out his revenge on the people who protested him, but also the average American that just didn’t vote for him.”
He continued, “These reckless decisions on healthcare, muslim-americans, immigration, environmental protection, freedom of speech, freedom of press, women’s right to choose what to do with their bodies, suggesting sending in the feds to Chicago .. are signs of a man that is trying to redefine what it is that keeps our common union as Americans. This is not just his ‘conservative agenda.’ It’s an all out assault on our civil liberties. His intention is to divide us as Americans. Maybe we don’t agree on all of these issues.. But can’t we see eye to eye on some?”
In an interview with NME, Armstrong said that Trump supporters were mostly “uneducated white working-class people.” Armstrong added: “That’s the problem right there. There’s this white nationalism that’s been brewing under the radar for a long time. But now [Trump’s] been able to cause people to lash out and blame minorities and it’s really confusing. I mean, blatant misogyny going on at the same time.”
“I’ve got family members from Oklahoma that are big Trump supporters. And there’s no clear answer on why they’re supporting him because he doesn’t even have any policies,” he continued. “How can you have an opinion about who you want for the Leader of the Free World when the guy running doesn’t have answers to any questions?”
When the band performed in Washington D.C., Armstrong emphasized that the sentiments didn’t feel as intense or different as other concerts. “Outside of “f—k you,” not a real lot, honestly,” the lead singer told Rolling Stone. “People know how I feel. I feel like going negative is just throwing fuel on the fire. I feel like the government is trying to create a culture war between us in a lot of ways. They’re trying to get between your average citizens based on red and blue. I think we’re in a crisis mode right now. For me, it’s important to get back to fundamentally what it feels like to be an American. We all come from different backgrounds, but we come together and create this world. It’s like a microcosm for the rest of the world. I want people to feel unity when they come to a show. At the same time, I’m not going to puss out on saying what I feel about him and his administration.”
When asked about their obligations in the Trump administration, Cool said, “I think we have an obligation to put on a fun show and put on a concert that’s memorable, that’s energetic and that spreads joy and open-mindedness. If being open-minded and joyful is against your political beliefs, then you know, fuck you.”
In June 2025, Armstrong shared his feelings about the president. “Donald Trump in his administration is a fascist government,” Armstrong told the crowd at Download Festival in Donington Park in the U.K. . “And it’s up to us to fight back.”
Green Day was announced as a performer in the opening ceremonies for Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, Calif., a couple of miles away from the band’s roots. When asked about whether he’ll attend the football game, Trump told reporters that he would not and then criticized the performers, which also included halftime performer Bad Bunny. “I’m anti-them. I think it’s a terrible choice. All it does is sow hatred. Terrible,” Trump said.
In their first performance of 2026, the band made their stance loud and clear with the iconic “American Idiot” line. During the performance of “Holiday” and “Know Your Enemy,” Armstrong said, “This song is anti-fascism. This song is anti-war. We stand up for our brothers and sisters in Minnesota. … Ladies and gentlemen, Stephen Miller now has the floor,” referring to the ICE raids in Minneapolis that resulted in the deaths of Alex Pretto and Renee Good, while the latter line is a direct reference to homeland security advisor Stephen Miller.
Armstrong also added the same sentiments when the band performed at a Super Bowl pre-show hosted by Spotify and Fanduel on Friday, Feb. 6. “This goes out to all the ICE agents out there. Wherever you are: quit your shitty-ass job. Quit that shitty job you have.” He added, “come on this side of the line.”
“Because when this is over — and it will be over at some point in time — Kristi Noem, Stephen Miller, J.D. Vance, Donald Trump, they’re going to drop you like a bad f—king habit.”
