Green Day have been chosen to perform the opening ceremony at this year’s Super Bowl – despite their lead singer’s well-known disdain for Donald Trump.
Four months after anti-Trump rapper Bad Bunny was controversially unveiled as the halftime act, the NFL has announced the San Francisco-based American rock band will open the end-of-season showpiece in Santa Clara, California on February 8.
Green Day, led by frontman Billie Joe Armstrong and also featuring Mike Dirnt and Tre Cool, are set to usher generations of Super Bowl MVPs onto the field during their performance.
The NFL’s latest musical choice is unlikely to go down well with Trump, who has been heavily criticized by Armstrong on several occasions in recent years.
Back in June, the Green Day singer told the crowd at Download Festival in the UK: ‘Donald Trump in his administration is a fascist government. And it’s up to us to fight back.’
Armstrong also got festivalgoers to join him in calling Trump a ‘fat b*****d’, while he has also led chants of ‘F*** Donald Trump’ at other shows.
Green Day, led by anti-Donald Trump singer Billie Joe Armstrong (left), will perform the opening ceremony at the Super Bowl
The NFL chose Bad Bunny, another well-known Trump critic, as the halftime act in Santa Clara
In their famous ‘American Idiot’ song, he has also tweaked the lyrics to say: ‘I’m not part of the MAGA agenda.’
After receiving the honor of performing at Super Bowl LX, Armstrong said: ‘We are super hyped to open Super Bowl 60 right in our backyard!
‘We are honored to welcome the MVPs who’ve shaped the game and open the night for fans all over the world. Let’s have fun! Let’s get loud!’
Bad Bunny’s unveiling as the halftime act had already sparked outrage amongst MAGA commentators, who have threatened to boycott it due to his public criticism of Trump’s immigration policies.
The Puerto Rican artist, who recently refused to tour in the US over concerns that his fans would be targeted by ICE agents, also performs the majority of his songs in Spanish.
Trump condemned the decision back in October, saying about Bad Bunny’s upcoming halftime show: ‘I never heard of him, I don’t know who he is, I don’t know why they’re doing it, it’s like, crazy.’
He also added: ‘I think it’s absolutely ridiculous.’
After another anti-Trump singer was added to the event, several of his supporters took to social media to blast the NFL.
Armstrong has previously led chants against Trump while performing for the American band
Bad Bunny recently refused to tour in the US over concerns that his fans would be targeted by ICE agents
Trump called the NFL’s decision to give the Super Bowl halftime show to Bad Bunny ‘crazy’
‘More liberal BS being pushed on everyone for the Super Bowl. First bad bunny, now Green Day,’ one user moaned. ‘Idiots’.
‘F*** the Super Bowl after hearing that Green Day is gonna be doing the halftime show. They’ll be lucky to get me to watch it their anti-Trump their pieces of s***,’ said another.
A third commented: ‘So I just saw that they’re gonna have Green Day as the opening Super Bowl act and then they have Bad Bunny at halftime. Both anti-American acts the NFL really hates their fan based don’t they’.
A fourth fumed: ‘F*** Greenday.. all anti American superbowl w/ them and Bad Bunny. @NFL shame on you.’
While one simply put: ‘Green Day opening up for Super Bowl 60 is enough for me to boycott the game’.
