Green Day made their political stance clear once again during a show when the band took the stage on September 20 at the iHeartRadio festival in Las Vegas. While performing their hit “American Idiot,” frontman Billie Joe Armstrong changed the lyrics from “I’m not part of a redneck agenda” to “I’m not part of a MAGA agenda,” directly referencing President Donald Trump’s slogan of “Make America Great Again.”
The song, from the 2004 album of the same title (which marked its 15th anniversary the same day), was originally a statement against the politics of the time and the presidency of George W. Bush. But its lyrics are still relevant today: “Now everybody do the propaganda / and sing along to the age of paranoia …” can just as easily apply to the Trump administration’s fear tactics and lies.
The band also made its feelings about the Trump presidency clear when they played the American Music Awards in 2016, just days after the former reality TV personality and businessman won the election. During that performance, Armstrong chanted, “No Trump! No KKK! No fascist USA!” during the song “Bang Bang.”
Though Green Day has been outspoken against Trump, Armstrong recently told Kerrang! that their upcoming album, Father of All…, will not feature any songs about the divisive commander in chief. “I draw no inspiration from the President of the United States, because he’s just … there’s nothing,” he told the British magazine before laughing, “Trump gives me diarrhea, you know? I don’t want to write a song about it!”
Father of All… will be available February 7. Green Day will be hitting the road with Weezer and Fall Out Boy next summer for the Hella Mega Tour to promote their new album.
The CW will air highlights from the iHeartRadio festival on September 29 at 8 p.m. ET, and performances from night one on October 2 at 8 p.m. ET.
