Lady Gaga Says She Will Not Mention Donald Trump During Super Bowl Halftime Show Performance
Lady Gaga is not going to bring up President Donald Trump during her Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday (Feb. 5), according to Lady Gaga herself.
In an interview with Las Vegas' 98.5 KLUC, the Joanne superstar was asked whether she plans to use the massive platform to take a stand amid protests against the incoming administration happening around the globe, including the Women's March and the call for ACLU donations following the immigration ban, and mention Donald Trump in her performance.
The answer, apparently, is "Well, I mean...no."
"No. That's not what the show is about. The show is something that is coming from my heart to everyone in America that I love so much. This is my country and I'm proud to be a pop star from this country. I've travelled the whole world and it's still something special to be from America. I want people that watch the Halftime show that Pepsi Zero Sugar is putting on with us to feel the greatness of the USA. That part of it will be there," says Gaga.
When pressed further on the issue and the idea of using that massive platform to go political ("you're gonna have a bigger stage than the President did at his Inauguration"), she continued: "Because I know I have a bigger stage that day, and I've had a lot of really big stages that I'm very grateful for, you know the power of your voice. And I would like to use that power to bring people together on that day. Saying anything divisive is only going to make things worse. And that's just not what I want for our country. So, I'm going to take the stage with the wonderful dignity and love that my mother instilled in me when I was very little, and just do this one for the kids in America."
The Fame Monster singer-songwriter has been vocal in her disapproval of Donald Trump in the past, holding up a sign reading "Love Trumps Hate" outside of Trump Tower on the night of the presidential election in November. With her own music, such as Born This Way, and her charity work, the singer has passionately championed causes like anti-bullying, LGBTQ equality, and even #BlackLivesMatter with Joanne's "Angel Down." The NFL has already denied prohibiting Lady Gaga from making any political statement — although it's possible official sponsors may feel differently.
It's hard to say whether Gaga is simply being coy and tip-toeing around the question, or is legitimately going to ignore the political climate: it's certainly possible that she'll instead take a symbolic stand rather than explicitly mentioning Trump — or, perhaps, she'll focus solely on providing an escapist visual spectacle.
Listen to the full interview below — the Trump talk starts around the 6:45 minute mark — and draw your own conclusions.
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