Green Day was never part of MAGA’s agenda. The California rock band has called out Donald Trump and his administration in many of their musical performances, and it doesn’t look like they’ll be stopping anytime soon.
In recent years, the band — made up of members Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tré Cool — replaced the lyrics to their iconic hit “American Idiot.” The song, written in 2004, originally included the lyrics “I’m not 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 for which it was written, was a direct criticism of the George W. Bush administration and the Iraq War.
More from StyleCaster
Related: Nicki Minaj Just Declared Trump’s ‘Number 1 Fan’ — Here Are the Celebrities Who Support His Presidency
Armstrong also enjoys VP JD Vance through the revised lyrics of “Jesus of Suburbia”. So what’s the deal between the president and the band?
What did Green Day say about Donald Trump?
After Donald Trump was elected to office in November 2016, the band led a chant of “No Trump, no KKK, no fascist USA” during an appearance at The American Music Awards.
In the early days of the first Trump administration, Billie Joe Armstrong wrote on Instagram about his immigration executive orders targeting countries with large Muslim populations: “I feel like I’m in a state of shock. The executive orders that Trump signs feel like revenge.. Trump is not only taking revenge on those who protested him, but also on the average American who just didn’t vote for him.”
He continued: “These reckless decisions on health care, Muslim-Americans, immigration, environmental protection, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, women’s right to choose what to do with their bodies, suggesting sending the feds to Chicago… are signs of a man trying to redefine what holds our union together, it’s not just his conservative agenda. It’s an all-out attack on our civil liberties. His intent is to divide us as Americans. Maybe we’re not agree with all these issues.. But can’t we see eye to eye on some?”
In an interview with NME, Armstrong said that Trump’s supporters were mostly “uneducated working-class white people”. Armstrong added: “That’s the problem right there. There’s this white nationalism that’s gone under the radar for a long time. But now [Trump’s] he was able to get people to attack and blame minorities and it’s really confusing. I mean, there’s blatant misogyny going on at the same time.”
“I have family members in Oklahoma who are big Trump supporters. And there’s no clear answer as to why they support him because he doesn’t even have a policy,” he continued. “How can you have an opinion on who you want for Leader of the Free World when the guy running has no answers to any questions?”
When the band played in Washington DC, Armstrong emphasized that the feelings were not as intense or different as other concerts. “Other than ‘f—k you,’ not much, honestly,” the frontman said 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 come in between your average citizens based on red and blue. I think we’re in a crisis mode right now. To me, it’s important to go back to an American background, but we all come from different American backgrounds together. It’s like a microcosm for the rest of the world. people to feel unity when they come to a show.
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, screw 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 the UK’s Donington Park Download Festival. “And it’s up to us to fight back.”
Green Day has been announced as a performer at the opening ceremonies for Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, a few miles away from the band’s roots. Asked if he would attend the football game, Trump told reporters he would not, then criticized the performers, including halftime performer Bad Bunny. “I’m against them. I think it’s a terrible choice. All it does is sow hate. Terrible,” Trump said.
In their first performance since 2026, the band made their attitude 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’re standing 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 led to Good Pretto’s death, while the latter, regarding Good Pretto’s death, is the latter. Homeland Security Adviser Stephen Miller.
Armstrong added the same sentiments when the band performed at a Super Bowl pre-show hosted by Spotify and Fanduel on Friday, February 6. “This is for all the ICE agents out there. Wherever you are: Quit your shitty job. Quit that shitty job you have.” He added, “Come to this side of the line.”
“Because when it’s over — and it will be over at some point — Kristi Noem, Stephen Miller, JD Vance, Donald Trump, they’re going to drop you like a bad habit.
The best of StyleCaster
Sign up for the Stylecaster Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.