Green Day singer Billie Joe Armstrong holds Donald Trump mask at concert, Kathy Griffin reacts: 'I see you'
Griffin was federally investigated after posing for a 2017 photo that showed her holding a mask that looked like Trump's severed head.
Green Day singer Billie Joe Armstrong struck chords of varying degrees — ranging from conservative criticism to a message from comedian Kathy Griffin — following a recent concert, after the rock star held up a Donald Trump mask while on stage in Washington, D.C.
The moment occurred Monday night, roughly 85 minutes into the band's first United States show on the ongoing Saviors Tour at the city's Nationals Park venue, as Armstrong sang the group's 2005 single "Jesus of Suburbia." In fan-captured footage from the event, Armstrong is seen bending over with his arm outstretched. When he stands up straight, he's holding the Trump mask — which also has "IDIOT" written across its forehead — in his right hand, and hoists it above his head as he continues with the song. It's unclear whether or not Armstrong brought the mask himself, or if an audience member took it to the venue and passed it along to the rocker.
While some reactions online criticized Armstrong for holding up the Trump mask weeks after the former president survived an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, Griffin, who previously elicited public ire and a federal investigation (in addition to losing high-profile endorsement deals and comedy gigs) after posing for a 2017 photo that showed her holding a mask that looked like Trump's severed head, reacted to the move on social media.
Kevin Mazur/Getty; Amy Sussman/Getty
Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day holds Donald Trump mask; Kathy Griffin"I see you @GreenDay & @billiejoe," the 63-year-old shared Thursday morning on X, alongside posting a photo of Armstrong holding the mask in his hand.
Griffin's post contrasted the more critical nature of conservative voices who also responded to the incident on the social media platform.
"Green Day had a concert here in DC last night. They decided it’d be a good idea to hold up a severed Trump head. Just TWO WEEKS after he was sh*t in the head," Nick Sortor wrote. "These people are SICK."
Entertainment Weekly has reached out to representatives for Griffin, Green Day, and the Nationals Park venue for comment.
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The band has long commented on politics, war, and U.S. culture in its music, particularly on the 2004 album American Idiot. The band also performed the album's titular song at its D.C. tour stop, and changed the original lyrics to criticize a "MAGA agenda" throughout the performance.
Green Day's latest instance occurred weeks after fellow musician and Tenacious D band member Kyle Gass made a comment about the Trump assassination attempt during a concert in Australia, where he joked that one of his birthday wishes was for the shooter to not "miss Trump next time" around. Gass' friend and Tenacious D collaborator, Jack Black, later spoke out against Gass' quip before backing out of the tour. Gass later apologized for the "inappropriate" comment, calling it a "dangerous and a terrible mistake" in a since-deleted statement on Instagram.
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