Bruce Springsteen launched his latest tour with a series of passionate speeches in Manchester, where he criticized Donald Trump as “an unfit president” leading “a rogue government.” The opening night of the tour garnered attention not only for Springsteen’s fervent performance but for the political implications of his remarks.
Springsteen then passionately reaffirming support for the Democratic leadership throughout his speeches. He has led campaigns for other power players, including Joe Biden, Barack Obama, and Kamala Harris. His words struck a chord with fans, reminding them of the artist’s history of mixing art and activism.
In response to Springsteen’s remarks, Donald Trump took to his Truth Social platform, dismissing the musician as “highly overrated … not a talented guy – just a pushy, obnoxious JERK.” At the time, Trump criticized Springsteen’s intellect, describing him as “dumb as a rock.” It was precisely because Springsteen could not even begin to understand what was emerging in this country.
Springsteen’s concert in Co-Op Live in Manchester has been a great success, as witnessed by another concert this Saturday. Since then, the event has received rave reviews. The Guardian hailed it as a five-star show, calling Springsteen’s emotional version of Bob Dylan’s “Chimes of Freedom” the best possible message of support for the audience.
That media attention has recently been diverted to the story of Taylor Swift. She’s remained largely out of the public eye since her unprecedentedly successful Eras tour. In fact, as recently as 2012, Trump was a Swift superfan—calling her a “great talent,” and lauding her skills. She was brilliant… He referred to her as “great” and “unconventionally attractive.” Once Swift endorsed Kamala Harris, Trump took to Twitter to announce, “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!”
Trump and some of the world’s biggest stars are in an unusually public war of words. Even so, neither Springsteen nor Swift has responded to his recent remarks. The conversation is ongoing and taking place amid a specific political climate and context of artistic activism.