The Boss has never shied away from expressing his political views.
And he’s not gonna back down now.
“In America, they are persecuting people for using they right to free speech and voicing their dissent. This is happening now. In my country, they are taking sadistic pleasure in the pain that they inflict on loyal American workers. They’re rolling back historic civil rights legislation that led to a more just and plural society. They’re abandoning our great allies. And siding with dictators.”
“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.”
Those were his words at a concert in Europe last month. Donald Trump responded over Truth Social, calling him a “pushy, obnoxious jerk” and a “dried out ‘prune’ of a rocker.”
The president of the United States also posted a fake video of himself golfing on social media appearing to knock Bruce Springsteen over with a golf ball.
How low can you go?
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In dark times, music and song gives us hope. It can inspire us. The soundtracks to resistance, to change, to standing up for each other, to defending our rights.
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Bruce Springsteen, like Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, or Woody Guthrie, is one of those musicians who has often led the way with songs for the downtrodden. Songs for the working class, for hardworking Americans, for immigrants, for justice and freedom…
But not Trump-style freedom.
And right now, others have Bruce Springteen’s back.
“You know, when a hero like Bruce Springsteen brings up issues and make his thoughts be known,” Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder defended The Boss during a show in May, “and uses his microphone to speak for those who don’t have a voice, sometimes. Certainly not an amplified one. And I just want to point out that he brought up issues. He brought up that residents are being removed off of American streets and being deported without due process of law. And thinking that they’re defunding American universities that won’t bow down to their ideologies, as Bruce said.”
“Now look, I appreciate you listening and I bring it up because the response to all of that and him using the microphone. The response had nothing to do with the issues. They didn’t talk about one of those issues. They didn’t have a conversation about one of those issues. Ddin’t debate any one of those issues. All that we heard were personal attacks and threats that nobody else should even try to use their microphone or use their voice in public or they will be shut down. No that is not allowed in this country that we call America. Am I right or am I right?”
Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello performed before a backdrop covered with huge oversized buttons spelling out the words “FUCK TRUMP.” “FUCK ICE” was written on the back of his guitar. He too spoke out in defense of Bruce Springsteen.
“Alright this next tune, I’m gonna dedicate to my friend Bruce Springsteen. He got in a tussle with the president lately. And you know Bruce is going after Trump. Because Bruce his whole life he’s been about truth, justice, democracy, equality. And Trump’s mad at him cause Bruce draws a much bigger audience. Fuck that guy.”
This is not the first time Tom Morello has raged against the current US president. And it will not be the last. Almost a decade ago, even before Trump’s first term in office, Morello performed with Ani DiFranco on folk singer Ryan Harvey’s song, “Old Man Trump.”
That song was actually written by Woody Guthrie in 1954, about the racist discriminatory housing practices of his landlord, Fred Trump—Donald Trump’s dad. You just can’t make this stuff up.
Other musicians are also standing up. Folk singer David Rovics is prolific, with new songs each week. And many others have defended Bruce Springsteen.
In his show in Manchester, England, in mid-May, the Boss spoke to the audience. “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.”
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Bruce Springsteen’s powerful words have been included on his latest album, Land of Hope and Dreams.
It was released on May 20.
You can find it on Spotify or wherever you listen. I’ll add a link in the show notes.
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Hi folks, thanks for listening. I’m your host Michael Fox.
I have long been an huge fan of Bruce Springsteen. If you’ve heard my podcast Under the Shadow, you know I grew up in Virginia, but I spent weeks every summer with family at the Jersey Shore, a couple of towns over from where Springsteen grew up. He is an icon, still.
Bruce Springsteen has never shied away from expressing his political views. And he’s not gonna back down now.
“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,” he told a crowd at a concert in Europe, in May.
Donald Trump responded over Truth Social, calling him a “pushy, obnoxious jerk” and a “dried out ‘prune’ of a rocker.”
In dark times, music and song gives us hope. Bruce Springsteen, like Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, or Woody Guthrie is one of those musicians who has often led the way with songs for the downtrodden. Songs for the working class, for hardworking Americans, for immigrants. For justice and freedom. And other famous rock idols have got the Boss’s back.
This is episode 47 of Stories of Resistance—a podcast co-produced by The Real News and Global Exchange. Independent investigative journalism, supported by Global Exchange’s Human Rights in Action program. Each week, we’ll bring you stories of resistance like this. Inspiration for dark times.
If you like what you hear, please subscribe, like, share, comment, or leave a review.
And please consider signing up for the Stories of Resistance podcast feed, either in Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Spreaker, or wherever you listen.
Visit patreon.com/mfox for exclusive pictures, to follow Michael Fox’s reporting and to support his work.
Written and produced by Michael Fox.
Resources
Clip of Bruce Springsteen criticizing Trump/Bruce Springsteen critica a Trump: “En mi país se ponen del lado de los dictadores”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2bT24hOXcQ
Here is the link to Bruce Springsteen’s latest album, “Land of Hope and Dreams”: https://open.spotify.com/album/1wWm7MPHSIpBX7Wiw8LAAq
“Eddie Denounces Trump’s Policies & Backs Springsteen & Rockin”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxZIVAkrq0Q
Tom Morello – 11 The Ghost of Tom Joad – Boston Calling May 25th 2025: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGkwcO8sZns
Ryan Harvey’s Old Man Trump (ft. Ani DiFranco & Tom Morello): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmZnlGBhwKg
You can hear more from Ryan Harvey here: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1bdxYCSsYEJga10wHzcqeu
You can subscribe to David Rovics’s newsletter and hear his most recent songs at: https://www.davidrovics.com/
This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by Michael Fox.