Lady Gaga will be the performer at tonight's Super Bowl half-time show and the US's National Rifle Association (NRA) has urged the pop star to avoid politics.
In a tweet from the NRATV account, the pro-gun lobby organisation says: "Dear @ladygaga: don't get political at #SuperBowl. People are tired of being called stupid & racist by dunces like @Beyonce & @Kaepernick7"
The tweet features a video of conservative political commentator Bill Whittle saying that organisers had "once again" "chosen a gigantic progressive mouthpiece for their Super Bowl halftime" by booking Gaga.
As well as referring to Beyoncé’s politically-charged performance last year of Formation, he recalled previous Super Bowl performers from whom Gaga should take a lead.
"I can remember days when Michael Jackson or somebody would do the Super Bowl and politics didn’t enter into it because they understood that they’re performing for the entire nation and not for the staff at MSNBC," he said.
"I think if Lady Gaga comes out there and makes this an anti-Trump tirade, I think that’s really the final step of the declaration of war between our pop culture people and the actual citizens.
"This is not the Kennedy Awards. This isn't the Oscars. This is the Super Bowl where real Americans get together and have a real fun day and the last thing they want to hear is how stupid and racist they are."
In a press conference earlier this week, Gaga talked in vague terms about what the event's hundreds of millions of viewers could expect from her performance.
She said: "The only statement that I'll be making during the halftime show are the ones that I've been consistently making throughout my career.
"I believe in a passion for inclusion. I believe in the spirit of equality, and that the spirit of this country is one of love and kindness. My performance will uphold those philosophies."
Dear @ladygaga: don't get political at #SuperBowl. People are tired of being called stupid & racist by dunces like @Beyonce & @Kaepernick7 pic.twitter.com/GbSN5fZ6xX
— NRATV (@nranews) February 3, 2017
