NEWSDonald Trump's Explosive Rant Against Bruce Springsteen Sparks Boycott Calls and Music Industry Backlash
Bruce Springsteen criticized the administration during a concert speech.
April 7 2026, Published 9:29 a.m. ET
Bruce Springsteen turned his latest concert into a political moment, and President Donald Trump responded with a full-blown tirade.
The legendary rocker ignited the latest chapter of their long-running feud when he blasted the president during a recent Minneapolis concert, prompting Trump to lash out online with insults, boycott calls, and a renewed culture war clash that has drawn in the broader music industry.
Bruce Springsteen’s Onstage Broadside
The legendary rocker’s sold-out tour became part of the political clash.
Kicking off a new tour that he promised would be “very political,” Springsteen didn’t hold back. Addressing the crowd, he delivered a scathing critique of the current administration.
“Democracy, our Constitution, and our sacred American promise, the America that I love, the America that I’ve written about for 50 years, that’s been a beacon of hope and liberty around the world, is currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent, racist, reckless, and treasonous administration,” he said from the stage.
The remarks continued a pattern for the singer, who has long used his platform to weigh in on politics, and more recently released the protest song "Streets of Minneapolis."
Donald Trump Fires Back
Donald Trump answered with a harsh social media post.
Trump responded swiftly and harshly.
In a Truth Social post, the president called Springsteen a “Bad and very boring singer” and mocked his appearance, writing that he “looks like a dried up prune who has suffered greatly from the work of a really bad plastic surgeon.”
He went further, urging supporters to “BOYCOTT HIS OVERPRICED CONCERTS, WHICH SUCK,” despite the fact that most dates on Springsteen’s current tour are already sold out.
The outburst is just the latest escalation in a feud that stretches back to 2016, when Trump used Springsteen’s music without permission and the artist responded with pointed criticism, later calling him a “flagrant, toxic narcissist” and “unfit.”
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A Feud Years in the Making
Donald Trump's expletive-laden Easter Sunday post against Iran sparked widespread condemnation from lawmakers and critics worldwide.
The clash has intensified in recent years, evolving into a recurring public spectacle. In 2025, Trump posted a doctored video appearing to show himself hitting Springsteen with a golf ball and even floated the idea of investigating the singer’s political activity.
Springsteen, for his part, has remained defiant. At his recent show, he urged fans to join him “in choosing hope over fear, democracy over authoritarianism, the rule of law over lawlessness, ethics over unbridled corruption, resistance over complacency.”
Music Industry Pushes Back
Union leaders defended the singer after the president's attack.
The president’s attacks didn’t go unanswered.
Leaders from the American Federation of Musicians union quickly issued a statement defending Springsteen and condemning Trump’s remarks.
“We could not remain silent as one of our most celebrated members is singled out and personally attacked by the President of the United States,” union leaders said.
“Bruce Springsteen is not just a brilliant musician, he is a voice for working people,” they added. “His music has spoken truth to power for decades, and that is exactly what he is doing now.”
