Super Bowl 2017: Lady Gaga show may take shots at Donald Trump

Audiences are bracing for Lady Gaga, a Hillary Clinton celebrity backer, to attack Trump in her half-time show.

The Super Bowl half-time show is a hallowed moment in the American national calendar, watched by hundreds of millions around the world.

Yet like every aspect of contemporary American public life, today’s show may well be overshadowed by political rancour.

Lady Gaga will take to the stage with a nation braced for her to turn the occasion into a soapbox and attack the new US President.

The singer is no fan of Donald Trump and was one of many celebrities who campaigned for Hillary Clinton. Trump singled her out for criticism in response, telling a rally: “We don’t need Lady Gaga. All we need is great ideas to make America great again.”

The National Football League, which counts many Trump supporters among its fans, will be desperate to maintain the apolitical sanctity of the Super Bowl as the New England Patriots take on the Atlanta Falcons in Houston, Texas.

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It has furiously denied suggestions it attempted to gag Lady Gaga in the lead-up to the game.

“This is unsourced nonsense from people trying to stir up controversy where there is none,” an NFL spokeswoman said.

The singer herself told The New York Times: “The only statements I’ll be making during the half-time show are the ones I’ve been consistently making throughout my career. I believe in a passion for inclusion. I believe in the spirit of equality.”

The possibility of Gaga-gate is not the only shadow hanging over today’s match.

The Patriots, arguably the greatest team to play the game and strong favourites to win their fifth Super Bowl in 15 years, have also come under fire for their connections to the President.

Their star quarterback, Tom Brady — who is married to the Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen — has a bromance with Trump that came to light in 2015 when a “Make America great again” cap was spotted in his locker.

He said at the time he spoke regularly to Trump and thought it would be “great” if he won the Republican primary — an admission seized on by Trump, who claimed the player had voted for him.

Brady repeatedly refused to confirm this when questioned at a pre-game news conference. “I’m not talking politics at all,” he said.

The Sunday Times