President Donald Trump has faced criticism from many public figures since taking office, but one powerful musician has taken his attacks against the president to a new level.
Bruce Springsteen starts his current show with a prayer for men and women in service overseas and then leads into “War,” a cover of The Temptations’ song “War, what is it good for? Absolutely nothing.”
“Our democracy, our constitution, our rule of law are being challenged right now as never before by a reckless, racist, incompetent, treasonous president and his ship of fools administration,” Springsteen said at one recent show in New York City.
“Tonight we ask all of you to join with us in choosing hope over fear, democracy over authoritarianism, the rule of law over lawlessness, ethics over unbridled corruption, resistance over complacency, truth over lies, unity over division and peace over war,”he said.
Springsteen has never shied away from voicing his political opinions throughout his music career, but his current set of shows on the U.S.-based “Land of Hope and Dreams” tour has taken it a step further.
Twenty shows, starting in Minneapolis and ending in Washington and Philadelphia later this month, have a main focus – an anti-Trump message.
“The Boss,” as he’s known, has never been a fan of Trump’s politics. He campaigned for Joe Biden, Kamala Harris and Hillary Clinton against Trump. Springsteen also performed at Biden’s inauguration celebration and did a podcast with Barack Obama.
Trump is no fan of “The Boss,” either. He has criticized the rock star ever since he began his political journey.
“Bad, and very boring singer, Bruce Springsteen … has long had a horrible and incurable case of Trump Derangement Syndrome, sometimes referred to as TDS,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on April 2. And that’s just part of one of his many posts.
Springsteen’s answer? His latest tour, a protest performance from start to finish.
His setlist includes a variety of protest songs from different eras of his career, including his most recent song, “Streets of Minneapolis.”
Springsteen’s newest release is a critique of the ICE actions in Minneapolis earlier this year. The song includes lyrics that directly call out Trump and several of his closest advisors.
“King Trump’s private army from the DHS, guns belted to their coats, came to Minneapolis to enforce the law – or so their story goes, goes one lyric. The song also highlights the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renée Good, who died at the hands of ICE agents.
The tour with the E Street Band, is ending in the cradle of democracy at the end of the month. He will continue to promote his “Promised Land” against what he sees as the Trump administration’s “Wrecking Ball.”
“The power and solidarity of the people of Minnesota was an inspiration to the entire country,” said Springsteen, during a recent show in New York City. “Their strength and their commitment told us that this is still America and the gestapo tactics will not stand here.”