Some social media users are upset with Billie Joe Armstrong and Green Day after the popular band failed to criticize President Donald Trump during their performance ahead of Sunday’s Super Bowl.
Armstrong and Green Day, who have a long history of being critical of Trump, opted for a safe approach on Sunday evening. Only days after Armstrong unleashed an anti–United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) speech at a concert, he refrained from further references to ongoing political events while on stage at Levi’s Stadium. Rather than continuing to switch the lyrics of “American Idiot” — changing “I’m not a part of the redneck agenda” to “I’m not a part of the MAGA agenda,” as he did last Friday night — Armstrong stuck with the version he has regularly sung for more than 20 years.
Although Green Day performed “American Idiot” and “Holiday” on Sunday, neither song is a reference to the Trump administration. Both songs were released in 2004 and were aimed at then-President George W. Bush amid the ongoing War on Terror.
Green Day has changed the lyrics of “American Idiot” to “I’m not a part of the MAGA agenda.”
The band is set to open the 2026 Super Bowl. pic.twitter.com/iwAvr32xhE
— FactPost (@factpostnews) February 5, 2026
Much of the feedback to Green Day’s pregame set was positive, with X users enjoying the whiff of nostalgia Armstrong and his bandmates brought to the stage. Others, however, questioned why Green Day chose not to publicly call out Trump. One X user commented that Green Day had “surrendered” rather than continuing to provoke Trump and ICE supporters.
“Pretty cowardly if you ask me,” one X user wrote. “I expected real protest from them.”
“After years of being the voice of the resistance, fans feel let down by the silence on the world’s biggest stage,” read another comment.
Although Trump criticized Bad Bunny and the halftime show, he had not said anything regarding Green Day’s performance as of Monday morning.
Want to know a secret no one else will say? No politics, just stating Facts:
Green Day and Bad Bunny had the opportunity to go absolutely off on Trump or USA or whatever as so many ppl said they would
… neither of them did at all (and now some fans are mad at them for not…
— Gunz (@TheGunzShow) February 9, 2026
Neither Green Day nor Bad Bunny made any explicit political statements on Sunday night, nor were they required to do so. While some anti-Trump and anti-MAGA viewers may have been disappointed, others argued that openly criticizing the president during the Super Bowl would have offered little upside. With a massive national audience watching, both Green Day and the NFL could have faced significant backlash from Trump’s supporters and his administration.
“Please explain why you sold out all your values and self-censored your most pertinent lyrics in such dark times?” another X user wrote. “I was a fan, but now I’m not so sure anymore. I don’t like sell-outs.”
No members of Green Day had addressed the criticism they received as of publication. There have also been no credible reports indicating that the NFL asked — or required — the band to avoid taking an explicit political stance or mentioning Trump or anyone affiliated with his administration.
