During their headlining set at Download Festival last week, while performing their song “Holiday,” Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong took aim at President Donald Trump.
According to Kerrang, the frontman asked the audience to call Trump a “fat bastard,” before saying: “Ladies and gentlemen, we are slipping into fascism. Donald Trump and his administration is a fascist government. it’s up to us to fight back!”
Armstrong also called out Elon Musk, changing the lyrics to their track “American Idiot” to “I’m not a part of the Elon agenda” – something which he has done several times in the past.
Billie Joe Armstrong, frontman of Green Day, has been an outspoken critic of Donald Trump throughout his presidency and beyond. Armstrong has frequently used his platform to express frustration with Trump’s rhetoric, policies, and behavior, calling him a “fascist” and comparing his rise to historical authoritarian figures. During concerts and interviews, he often encouraged fans to vote and resist what he viewed as the normalization of hate and division. In 2020, Armstrong slammed Trump’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the protests following George Floyd’s death, calling his leadership “destructive and reckless.” Green Day’s politically charged lyrics, especially in albums like American Idiot, gained renewed relevance during Trump’s presidency, and Armstrong made it clear that he saw parallels between the themes of that era and the political climate under Trump. He continues to advocate for progressive causes and encourages civic engagement through his music and public statements.
