Singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen calls out Trump admin
Bruce Springsteen called out the Trump administration during a recent show in the U.K., urging fans to “fight authoritarianism.”
- Bruce Springsteen called the Trump administration ‘corrupt, incompetent and treasonous.’
Bruce Springsteen didn’t back down.
The Boss repeated his criticism of President Donald Trump at the E Street Band’s Saturday, May 17 tour opening show at the Co-op Live in Manchester, U.K., that previously prompted Trump to call Springsteen a “dried out prune.”
“In my home America, the America I’ve written about that has been a beacon of hope and liberty for 250 years is currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent and treasonous administration,” said Springsteen to cheers as he took the stage on Saturday, echoing what he said at the tour’s opening show on Wednesday, May 14 at the same venue.
“Tonight, we ask all who believe in democracy and the best of our American spirit to rise with us, raise your voices and stand with us against authoritarianism and let freedom ring,” said Springsteen, according to a live stream of the show. “This is ‘Land of Hope and Dreams’.“
Springsteen also repeated his statement on free speech before “My City of Ruins.”
“There’s some very weird, strange, and dangerous (blank) going on out there right now,” said Springsteen during both shows. “In America, they are persecuting people for using their right to free speech and voicing their dissent. This is happening now.”
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Trump posted a reply the morning of Friday, May 16, on his Truth Social account.
“I see that Highly Overrated Bruce Springsteen goes to a Foreign Country to speak badly about the President of the United States,” Trump said. “Never liked him, never liked his music, or his Radical Left Politics and, importantly, he’s not a talented guy — Just a pushy, obnoxious JERK, who fervently supported Crooked Joe Biden, a mentally incompetent FOOL, and our WORST EVER President, who came close to destroying our Country.”
Trump also suggested there would be consequences if Springsteen had made the statement in the U.S.
“This dried out ‘prune’ of a rocker (his skin is all atrophied!) ought to KEEP HIS MOUTH SHUT until he gets back into the Country, that’s just ‘standard fare’,” Trump said. “Then we’ll all see how it goes for him!”
Much of the music world is showing support for Springsteen. Pearl Jam covered “My City of Ruins” at their Friday show in Pittsburgh and Jason Isbell played the Boss’ “Cover Me” at his Count Basie Center for the Arts show in Red Bank, also on Friday.
The American Federation of Musicians issued a statement of support on Friday for Springsteen and Taylor Swift, who Trump insulted on Friday with a short missive stating: “Has anyone noticed that, since I said ‘I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT,’ she’s no longer ‘HOT?’.”
“The American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada will not remain silent as two of our members—Bruce Springsteen and Taylor Swift—are singled out and personally attacked by the President of the United States,” the group said. “Bruce Springsteen and Taylor Swift are not just brilliant musicians, they are role models and inspirations to millions of people in the United States and across the world. Whether it’s Born in the USA or the Eras Tour, their music is timeless, impactful, and has deep cultural meaning. Musicians have the right to freedom of expression, and we stand in solidarity with all our members.”
Trump and Springsteen are neighbors — kind of. Springsteen, 75, has a home in Colts Neck and Trump, 78, owns the Trump National Golf Club there. Trump has attended several equestrian events where Jessica Springsteen, the Boss’ daughter, has competed, including the 2013 Trump Invitational Grand Prix in Palm Beach.
In 2016, Trump played Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.” at his campaign rallies. Springsteen has been critical of Trump’s policies since 2016 but this week is the first time he’s addressed them from an E Street Band concert stage.
Springsteen and the E Street Band are currently on the 16-show “The Land of Hope and Dreams Tour’ of Europe.
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Chris Jordan, a Jersey Shore native, covers entertainment and features for the USA Today Network New Jersey. Contact him at cjordan@app.com
