Bruce Springsteen took the time during his latest concert to brand the Trump administration as “corrupt, incompetent and treasonous”.
The 75-year-old musician, known as “The Boss”, was performing at Co-op Live in Manchester, England.
While introducing his song “Land of Hope and Dreams”, Springsteen announced: “The mighty E Street Band is here tonight to call upon the righteous power of art, of music, of rock ‘n roll in dangerous times.
“In my home, the America I love, 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.
“Tonight we ask all who believe in democracy and the best of our American experiment to rise with us, raise your voices against authoritarianism and let freedom ring!”
Later in the show, before his song “House of a Thousand Guitars”, Springsteen added: “The last check on power after the checks and balances of government have failed are the people, you and me.
“It’s in the union of people around a common set of values now that’s all that stands between a democracy and authoritarianism. At the end of the day, all we’ve got is each other.”
And prior to his song “City of Ruin”, Springsteen referenced Elon Musk and DOGE’s decision to cut funds for USAID and ICE deportations when he said: “There’s some very weird, strange, and dangerous s*** going on out there right now. In America they are persecuting people for using their right to free speech and voicing their dissent. This is happening now. In America the richest men are taking satisfaction in abandoning the world’s poorest children to sickness and death. This is happening now.
“In my country they’re taking sadistic pleasure in the pain they inflict on loyal American workers. They’re rolling back historic civil rights legislation that has led to a more just and plural society. They are abandoning our great allies and siding with dictators against those struggling for their freedom. They are defunding American universities that won’t bow down to their ideological demands.
“They are removing residents off American streets and without due process of law, are deporting them to foreign detention centers and prisons. This is all happening now. A majority of our elected representatives have failed to protect the American people from the abuses of an unfit president and a rogue government.
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“They have no concern or idea for what it means to be deeply American. The America l’ve sung to you about for 50 years is real and regardless of its faults is a great country with a great people. So we’ll survive this moment. Now, I have hope, because I believe in the truth of what the great American writer James Baldwin said, he said ‘in this world there isn’t as much humanity as one would like, but there’s enough.’ Let’s pray.”
Springsteen has consistently and vocally opposed Trump. Before last year’s election, he endorsed Trump’s opponent Kamala Harris.
Speaking last October in a video posted to his Instagram account, Springsteen said: “Hi, I’m Bruce Springsteen. Friends, fans and the press have asked me who I’m supporting in this most important of elections.
“And with full knowledge that my opinion is no more or less important than those of any of my fellow citizens, here’s my answer: I’m supporting Kamala Harris for president, and Tim Walz for vice-president, and opposing Donald Trump and JD Vance.”
He went on to describe Trump at the time as “the most dangerous candidate for president in my lifetime.”
Springsteen added: “His disdain for the sanctity of our Constitution, the sanctity of democracy, the sanctity of the rule of law and the sanctity of the peaceful transfer of power should disqualify him from the office of president ever again.
“He doesn’t understand the meaning of this country, its history, or what it means to be deeply American.”
