Green Day and other artists get political at American Music Awards

At the beginning of Sunday night's American Music Awards, co-host and former Saturday Night Live star Jay Pharoah told the audience they weren't going to talk about politics: "Tonight is all about the music," he announced.

That was not entirely true. Minutes later, Pharoah launched into his impression of President-elect Donald Trump ("I love Bruno Mars. I don't know what colour he is, so I can't deport him... I love Uptown Funk. It was totally about me...I'm gonna funk this country up, bigly.")

But punk rock group Green Day was the most overtly political; lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong is a vocal Trump critic. During the performance of their new single, Bang Bang, they segued briefly into Born to Die by punk band MDC, singing Trump-themed lyrics: "No Trump, no KKK, no fascist USA!"

According to TMZ, Green Day kept its plans to blast Trump under wraps, not giving ABC or American Music Awards producers any warning.

They repeated the line (which has been heard at anti-Trump protests) three times before they finished the song.

A few more Trump references were peppered throughout the AMAs, including co-host/supermodel Gigi Hadid, who imitated Melania Trump and mocked the Michelle Obama plagiarism incident.

Plus, there was this onstage banter between presenters Mark Cuban (entrepreneur and noted Trump nemesis) and Broadway star Idina Menzel:

Mark Cuban, left, and Idina Menzel present the award for favorite country duo/group at the American Music Awards. Photo / AP

Cuban: "Congratulations on your new album. I know you've been looking forward to that for a long time."

Menzel: "Thank you so much. What are you looking forward to?"

Cuban: "Not being invited to the inauguration is a good start."

Menzel: "I know how you feel. Us unsafe, scary theatre people wouldn't be invited to the inauguration, either. I love you, Hamilton!"

Pharaoh dropped in a Trump jab while talking about DJ Khaled's famous Snapchat presence: "He gives his major keys to success and all that. I just can't wait until he drops the major keys on moving overseas once Trump takes over."