On July 13, President Donald Trump will be heading across the pond for a long-overdue visit to the U.K. Many in Great Britain, however, are a little less than thrilled to be playing host to the President. In fact, among fans of the pop-punk band Green Day, a campaign has begun to get their hit single American Idiot to the top of the charts when Trump arrives.
https://twitter.com/NathanFrancisIQ/status/990258927513239552
The post, circulating online, reads:
We have a date, he’s coming Friday 13th July… so if we ALL buy enough downloads of Green Day’s ‘American Idiot’ between Friday 6th-Thursday 12th it will time PERFECTLY to hit No.1 the very day he arrives on UK soil! Streaming counts too but less effective. Let’s do this!
Green Day and frontman Billy Joe Armstrong have been very open about their disdain for President Trump since he took office, often leading anti-Trump chants at their concerts. Armstrong has supported the American Idiot campaign on his Instagram, though he later removed the post.
Fully behind this campaign! #maiga🤘
— American Idiot (@UKAmericanIdiot) April 28, 2018
The lyrics to Amerian Idiot read:
Don’t wanna be an American idiot
Don’t want a nation under the new mania
And can you hear the sound of hysteria?
The subliminal mind-f*ck America.
https://twitter.com/akageorge/status/990235381818851329
Some fans were delighted by the campaign:
I’ve just seen the campaign to get “American Idiot” to the top of the charts to coincide with Trump’s visit, and quite frankly, I’ll be disappointed in the whole nation if we don’t make it happen
— Paul Southall (@pjsouthall) April 28, 2018
Others think there are better ways to protest Trump’s visit.
A campaign to get American Idiot to No.1 the week he visits? Isn't there something more constructive and less offensive to ears one could dream up? "Ooh yeah we really showed HIM" Honestly. It's utterly meaningless. Spend your 99p and support a new act/ something good instead.
— Ian Wade (@WadeyWade) April 27, 2018
Perhaps it’s time the campaign began in America.
We here in America need to get American Idiot @GreenDay trending to number one for the rest of this presidency. https://t.co/wiquWyf4G7
— Amy Aiello Lofgren (@azsweetheart013) April 28, 2018
This wouldn’t be the first time a music campaign succeeded in sending a not-so-musical message. In 2013, Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead reached #2 on the U.K. charts following the death of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
https://twitter.com/LiamMatthewK/status/990654270511906816
H/T – Indy 100, Twitter, Dave J Hogan/Getty Images, Pool/Getty Images