What Green Day said about ICE and Trump ahead of Super Bowl LX performance
Billie Joe Armstrong, the lead singer of Green Day, has never shied away from political controversy, and their presence at Super Bowl LX won’t change that.
As Green Day prepares to open Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara, frontman Billie Joe Armstrong has once again made clear that just because they’ll be performing on one of the biggest stages in American sport, that does not mean it’ll come with a muted political voice.
Green Day’s long-standing political edge
Two days before the Super Bowl, Armstrong delivered a forceful message during a Spotify- and FanDuel-sponsored Super Bowl party held Friday night on San Francisco’s Pier 29. Speaking from the stage, he directly addressed Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, urging them to resign and criticizing members of the Trump administration.
“To all the ICE agents out there, wherever you are, quit your s***ty-a** job. Quit that s***ty job you have,” Armstrong said. “Because when this is over, and it will be over at some point in time, Kristi Noem, Stephen Miller, JD Vance, Donald Trump, they’re gonna drop you like a bad f***ing habit. Come on this side of the line.”
Seattle Seahawks vs New England Patriots live: Super Bowl LX
The remarks were made during a private, invitation-only concert, not during an NFL-controlled event or broadcast. Video clips of Armstrong’s statements circulated widely on social media following the performance, drawing attention as Green Day’s Super Bowl appearance approaches.
Lyric changes and dedications during the performance
Armstrong also altered lyrics during the band’s set to reference current political and cultural topics. While performing “Holiday”, he changed the line “the representative from California has the floor” to “the representative from Epstein Island has the floor”. Before the song, Armstrong added a dedication, saying, “This goes out to Minneapolis.”
During “American Idiot”, Armstrong once again modified the lyrics to sing “I’m not part of the MAGA agenda”, a change he has incorporated into live performances in recent years.
None of the lyric changes or remarks occurred during official Super Bowl programming, but they reinforced Green Day’s reputation as a band that has long woven political commentary into their music and live shows.
Green Day’s role in Super Bowl LX
Green Day is scheduled to perform during the pre-game ceremony of Super Bowl LX, where the band will help usher Super Bowl MVPs onto the field. They are set to play at 6 p.m. ET, 30 minutes before the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks take the field for kickoff.
The NFL selected Green Day in part due to the band’s Bay Area roots and their continued popularity as a stadium-level act nearly four decades after forming. Billie Joe Armstrong and bassist Mike Dirnt founded the band in 1987, with drummer Tré Cool joining in 1990.
Armstrong’s comments during Super Bowl week did not mark a departure from Green Day’s public identity. Since breaking into the mainstream in the 1990s, the band has consistently used their platform to comment on politics, authority and American culture, most notably through albums like American Idiot and 21st Century Breakdown.
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