Green Day, known for their outspoken political views, are set to perform at the 2026 Super Bowl's opening ceremony, a move that may stir controversy given their long history of criticising former President Donald Trump and his supporters. The band, consisting of Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tré Cool, will play a selection of hits during the 60th anniversary tribute, while previous Super Bowl MVPs are honoured on the field.
The NFL's decision to include Green Day comes after backlash from Trump's MAGA base over the selection of Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny for the halftime show. MAGA supporters accused Bad Bunny of being a 'massive Trump hater' and an 'anti-ICE activist', and announced a rival event called The All-American Halftime Show.
In 2016, ahead of Trump's first presidential win, Armstrong criticised the then-candidate and his followers, telling Kerrang! magazine: 'The worst problem I see about Trump is who his followers are... they're poor, working-class people who can't get a leg up. He's preyed on their anger. That's f***ing Hitler, man!' He also led a chant of 'No Trump, no KKK, no fascist USA' at the 2016 American Music Awards.
Green Day have repeatedly altered lyrics in their 2004 hit 'American Idiot' to target Trump, swapping 'I'm not part of a redneck agenda' for 'I'm not part of the MAGA agenda' during performances at events like Coachella 2025. Their 2024 song 'The American Dream is Killing Me', originally written in protest of Trump's first presidency, was delayed for release to avoid being overly political, but later included on the album Saviors.
Armstrong has described the political climate as 'terrible division' and expressed anxiety about being American, citing issues like the Capitol insurrection and homelessness. The band's Super Bowl appearance is likely to reignite tensions with Trump supporters, given their past actions and statements.
