Trump, The Boss Have A Beef

On the second night of his “Land of Hopes and Dreams” tour in Manchester, England, Bruce Springsteen responded defiantly to Donald Trump’s attacks. After Trump labeled him an “obnoxious jerk” and a “dried out ‘prune’ of a rocker” on Truth Social, urging him to “keep his mouth shut,” Springsteen delivered a three-minute speech at the Co-op Live venue. 

Springsteen words were short on reality, but what one would expect of someone influenced by legacy media. He addressed the crowd, saying, “Things are happening right now that are altering the very nature of our country’s democracy, and they’re too important to ignore.”

Reiterating points from his first Manchester show that provoked Trump, Springsteen criticized the administration for defunding universities, rolling back civil rights, and aligning with dictators. 

Despite Trump’s veiled threat—“We’ll see how it goes for him” upon returning to the U.S.—Springsteen pressed on, condemning the persecution of free speech, the neglect of impoverished children, and the mistreatment of American workers.

He further accused authorities of deporting residents to foreign detention centers without due process and elected officials of failing to curb an “unfit president” and “rogue government.” The crowd roared in support as he declared, “They have no concern or idea of what it means to be deeply American.”

Ending on an optimistic note, Springsteen affirmed, “The America I’ve sung about for 50 years is real… and we will survive this moment.” Quoting James Baldwin, he added, “In this world, there isn’t as much humanity as one would like, but there’s enough.”

A longtime Trump critic, Springsteen campaigned for Kamala Harris in 2024. Trump frequently targets celebrities like Taylor Swift and Robert DeNiro for similar criticisms.