It may be a new year, but Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong is continuing to use his public platform for sharp political commentary and protest-driven messaging.
At Green Day’s first show of 2026 on Saturday, Jan. 17, Armstrong told the audience that “Holiday” is “anti-fascism” and “anti-war” before kicking into the song. Originally released on the band’s 2004 album “American Idiot,” the track was written as a rebuke of President George W. Bush and the Iraq War and has since become one of modern rock’s most recognizable protest anthems.
The East Bay punk trio performed during the iHeartRadio ALTer EGO concert at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, held over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend.
“We stand up for our brothers and sisters in Minnesota,” Armstrong said, referencing protests against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement following the fatal shooting of Minneapolis resident Renee Good by an ICE agent earlier this month. The incident has sparked demonstrations nationwide, including in San Francisco and Oakland.
Later in the set, Armstrong altered a lyric to directly target U.S. Homeland Security adviser Stephen Miller.
“Ladies and gentlemen, Stephen Miller now has the floor,” he said during the song’s spoken interlude, replacing the original line, “The representative from California has the floor.”
The monologue then continued with the lyrics, “Sieg Heil to the President Gasman / Bombs away is your punishment.”
Armstrong has repeatedly used Green Day’s catalog to criticize the Trump administration, frequently modifying lyrics in “American Idiot” to call out the “MAGA” agenda. He has also aimed similar lyrical jabs at Vice President JD Vance during performances of “Jesus of Suburbia.”
The appearance served as a warmup ahead of the band’s homecoming shows during Super Bowl weekend. Green Day is scheduled to co-headline the FanDuel Party powered by Spotify on Feb. 6 at Pier 29, alongside fellow East Bay rockers Counting Crows. Two days later, the band is set to perform at the Super Bowl opening ceremony at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.
Other high-profile musicians also voiced opposition to ICE over the weekend during separate events.
At a Saturday night concert, Bruce Springsteen dedicated his 1978 song “The Promised Land” to Goode, addressing the audience at the Count Basie Center for the Arts in Red Bank, N.J., with a pointed message aimed at the Trump administration.
“If you stand against heavily armed masked federal troops invading an American city, using gestapo tactics against our fellow citizens, if you believe you don’t deserve to be murdered for exercising your American right to protest, then send a message to this president,” he said. “As the mayor of that city has said: ICE should get … out of Minneapolis.”
That same evening in Atlanta, Billie Eilish echoed similar concerns while accepting the MLK Jr. Beloved Community Environmental Justice Award. A longtime environmental advocate, Eilish recently announced plans to donate $11.5 million from her “Hit Me Hard and Soft” tour to environmental justice organizations.
“To be honest, I really don’t feel deserving. And it’s very strange to be celebrated for working towards environmental justice at a time where it feels less achievable than ever, given the state of our country and the world right now,” she said. “We’re seeing our neighbors being kidnapped, peaceful protesters being assaulted and murdered, our civil rights being stripped, resources to fight the climate crisis being cut, fossil fuels and animal agriculture destroying our planet and people’s health, access to food and health care becoming a privilege for the wealthy instead of a basic human right for all Americans.
“It is very clear that protecting our planet and our communities are not a priority for this administration.”
