Trump Skips Super Bowl, Launches Scathing Attack on 'Terrible' Performers — Is He Targeting Bad Bunny And Green Day?

The spectacle of the Super Bowl is usually the one event capable of uniting a fractured America, but this year, the political divide has reached the 50-yard line before the coin has even been tossed. Donald Trump has confirmed he will be skipping the upcoming Super Bowl LX in San Francisco, and he is not going quietly. The US president has launched a scathing verbal attack on the entertainment, branding the selection of Latin trap star Bad Bunny and punk rock veterans Green Day a 'terrible' decision that he claims will only 'sow hatred'.

The Super Bowl remains the biggest sporting event in the US, but the MAGA movement has turned the Feb. 8, 2026 show into a new political battleground, reflecting the growing intersection of politics and pop culture. Trump's decision to boycott the San Francisco event marks a major snub to one of the most-watched broadcasts in the world and underscores his ongoing feud with both the NFL and the entertainment industry.

The Politics of Pop

In a recent interview conducted within the Oval Office with the New York Post, Trump made little effort to conceal his disdain for the musical line-up. Bad Bunny is set to headline the landmark half-time show, becoming the first solo Latino artist to do so, while Green Day will perform during the game's special opening ceremony.

The selection of Green Day, a band that has built a decades-long career on anti-establishment anthems, alongside Bad Bunny, a global star and outspoken advocate for the Puerto Rican community who has criticised Trump's immigration policies, appears to have struck a nerve. 'I'm anti-them. I think it's a terrible choice. All it does is sow hatred. Terrible,' Trump said.

Trump insisted his absence was not solely a protest against what he described as the performers' 'anti-MAGA' stance. Instead, he cited the distance to Northern California as a key factor, with the game set to be held at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara. 'It's just too far away. I would go. I've had great hands at the Super Bowl. They like me,' he claimed.

The decision means Trump will not return to the sidelines after making history in 2025 as the first sitting president to attend a Super Bowl. However, given the long-standing tensions between the artists and the 45th president, the political friction is difficult to ignore.

The Trump Backlash

Green Day's involvement in the opening ceremony is particularly provocative given their recent habit of updating their classic hits to target the Republican leader. The band has famously altered the lyrics to their iconic anthem 'American Idiot', swapping the line 'I'm not a part of a redneck agenda' for 'I'm not part of a MAGA agenda'. During a recent show in California, frontman Billie Joe Armstrong even took aim at Trump's advisor Stephen Miller, dedicating the song 'Holiday' to anti-fascism and anti-war efforts amid ongoing ICE crackdowns.

Bad Bunny has been equally confrontational, albeit through a different creative lens. Last year, the artist released the track 'Nuevayol', which utilised a satirical imitation of Trump's voice to deliver a mock apology to immigrants, stating that the United States 'is nothing without the immigrants' from Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.

This tension has sparked a wider cultural revolt, with the conservative group Turning Point USA announcing it will host its own 'All American Halftime Show' featuring English-speaking stars to counterprogram the official broadcast. For a president who built much of his political identity on border security and 'America First' rhetoric, the inclusion of these two acts on the world's biggest stage is a clear signal from the NFL that they are not looking to play it safe.

As the countdown to Feb. 8 begins, the absence of the president will likely be as much a talking point as the game itself. By branding the lineup as 'divisive', Trump is ensuring that even from a distance, his influence — and his grievances — remain at the centre of the national conversation.