President Donald Trump said he will not attend the Super Bowl over the “terrible” choices for the big game’s music performances.
Trump made history when he became the first sitting president to attend the Super Bowl last year. However, he will not make a consecutive appearance next month, citing the opening performance by Green Day and halftime performance by Bad Bunny for this reason, according to the New York Post.
“I’m anti-them,” Trump said. “I think it’s a terrible choice. All it does is sow hatred. Terrible.”
Besides his distaste for the musicians, Trump also said the big game is “too far away,” and would go if the trip was “a little bit shorter.” The 2026 Super Bowl is being held at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, was selected by entertainment company Roc Nation to perform at the game’s halftime show. He previously said he would not tour in the United States over concerns that the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement could raid his concerts.
Meanwhile, Green Day’s musicians have been outspoken critics of Trump, altering the lyrics to one of their most popular songs, “American Idiot,” to take a swing at Trump in 2023. During a 2016 performance at the American Music Awards in Los Angeles, Green Day yelled, “No Trump, no KKK, no fascist USA,” during their televised performance of the song “Bang Bang.”
Despite the controversy over Bad Bunny’s selection, he was still Spotify’s most listened-to artist last year.
Turning Point USA announced in October that it will conduct its own halftime show, the All-American Halftime Show, as counter-programming to Bad Bunny’s performance. The organization said the show’s lineup will not be revealed before it airs, according to TMZ.
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The Super Bowl will be played on Feb. 8.
The White House declined to provide further comment to the Washington Examiner.