On Wednesday, Bruce Springsteen took the stage in Manchester, England as part of his UK tour. While performing for a packed arena, he paused to address the political climate in the U.S., openly criticizing President Donald Trump and the current White House administration. A clip of his remarks quickly circulated on social media, prompting a direct response from Trump and a statement of support from the American Federation of Musicians, who stood behind both Springsteen and Taylor Swift.
Determined to share his full message, Springsteen released the entire speech on YouTube and his official website. In it, he declared, “In the America I love—the one I’ve written about and believed in for 250 years—we now face a corrupt, incompetent, and treasonous administration. Tonight, we ask all who value democracy and our nation’s best ideals to raise their voices against authoritarianism and let freedom ring.”
He went on to criticize the wealthy elite, accusing them of taking pleasure in the struggles of working Americans. “In my country,” he said, “they revel in the pain they inflict on hardworking citizens. They are dismantling civil rights progress and betraying our allies, siding instead with oppressive regimes against those seeking freedom.”
In response, President Trump lashed out at Springsteen on his social media platform, writing, “I see that the Highly Overrated Bruce Springsteen goes abroad to bash the U.S. President. I’ve never liked him, his music, or his Far Left politics. He has no real talent—just a loud, obnoxious Biden supporter who backed our WORST President ever, a mentally incompetent fool who nearly destroyed the country.”