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Topics: News, Donald Trump, US News, Super Bowl
Kit Roberts
Topics: News, Donald Trump, US News, Super Bowl
President Donald Trump has said he will not attend the Super Bowl this year and has issued harsh criticism ahead of the landmark event.
The Super Bowl is the most-watched television event of the year in the US, and this year will be held at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California. But it seems that Trump has no plans to attend.
While he was explaining why he would not be going this year, the 79-year-old President took the opportunity to criticise the entertainment choices for this year's game.
These will be Green Day as the opening act, while Bad Bunny will take to the stage for the halftime show.
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Both Green Day and Bad Bunny have made a point of publicly criticizing Trump's policies and administration since he took office last year.
Bad Bunny, real name Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, has frequently commented on issues such as immigration.
He has previously responded to the backlash of his headlining the halftime show, as well as criticising ICE raids.
Last year, the Puerto Rican-born musician also released a song titled 'Nuevayol', which includes an impression of Trump 'apologizing' to immigrants: “I want to apologize to the immigrants in America. . . . This country is nothing without the immigrants. This country is nothing without Mexicans, Dominicans, Puerto Ricans, Colombians, Venezuelans, Cubans.”
Green Day have also made their opposition to Trump crystal clear.
The band has long been critical of US politics, with their 2004 concept album American Idiot, which follows the disillusionment of a lower-middle-class adolescent growing up in the US in the aftermath of 911 and the Iraq War.
The band have also changed the lyrics of their iconic track 'American Idiot' from “I’m not a part of a redneck agenda” to “I’m not a part of a MAGA agenda.”
And in July, frontman Billy Joel Armstrong had led a crowd chant at Download Festival in the UK, calling Trump a 'fat b****rd'. He also called the Trump administration ' a fascist government', adding that 'we are slipping into fascism'.
"And it’s up to us to fight back," he said.
In his interview, Trump called the lineup a 'terrible choice', adding: “I’m anti-them. I think it’s a terrible choice. All it does is sow hatred. Terrible."
However, he said that while he disapproves of the entertainment choices, this is not why he won't be attending.
“It’s just too far away," he said. "I would. I’ve gotten great hands for the Super Bowl, they like me. I would go if, you know, it was a little bit shorter.”
Armstrong has previously expressed the band's excitement to be performing at the huge event, as he said in a statement: “We are super hyped to open Super Bowl 60 right in our backyard!”
“We are honored to welcome the MVPs who’ve shaped the game and open the night for fans all over the world. Let’s have fun! Let’s get loud!”
Meanwhile, Bad Bunny has already unveiled a trailer in anticipation of the event, which sees the singer dancing in Puerto Rico to his song 'BAILE INoLVIDABLE', which, according to PEOPLE, translates to 'Unforgettable Dance'.