Inside the nearly decade-long feud between Trump and | Music News

The public feud between Bruce Springsteen and Donald Trump has spanned nearly a decade and reveals no indicators of slowing down after Trump’s most up-to-date assaults on The Boss.

Since Trump’s first presidential marketing campaign in 2016, the two have been at odds over politics, values, and public statements.

The disagreement started in 2016 when Trump used Springsteen’s track Born in the U.S.A. at political rallies. Springsteen didn’t approve of the use but didn’t pursue legal motion. Instead, he publicly backed Hillary Clinton, performing at her marketing campaign rally in Philadelphia.

That identical yr, Springsteen referred to as Trump a “moron” in a Rolling Stone interview and mentioned he was “unfit” for workplace during the opening of his U.Okay. tour.

In a number of interviews in 2016, Springsteen warned that Trump was undermining American democratic traditions. Speaking to the UK’s Channel 4, he referred to as Trump a “flagrant, toxic narcissist” and mentioned the language Trump was utilizing was harmful and irresponsible.

During his Broadway run in 2018, Springsteen went off-script to criticize Trump’s household separation coverage at the border, calling it “shockingly inhumane.”

In a 2018 Esquire interview, Springsteen mentioned Trump had “no interest in uniting the country” and criticized his failure to condemn the violent alt-right rally in Charlottesville.

In response to ongoing criticism, Trump talked about Springsteen at a rally in 2019, downplaying his affect by calling him “little Bruce Springsteen.”

Springsteen continued his criticism during the 2020 election. He referred to as Trump’s presidency a “nightmare,” endorsed Joe Biden, and mentioned he would contemplate leaving the nation if Trump gained re-election. He later carried out at Biden’s inauguration in January 2021.

In 2024, Springsteen endorsed Kamala Harris, calling Trump unfit for a second time period. After Trump gained the 2024 election, Springsteen opened his next live performance with a track titled A Fighting Prayer for My Country.

Fast ahead to Spingsteen’s present 2025 world tour, the musician again referred to as Trump “unfit” during a show in Manchester and described his management as “treasonous.”

Trump just lately responded on social media by attacking Springsteen’s expertise and intelligence, calling him a “dried-out prune” and “dumb as a rock.” He also labeled the award-winning star as “highly overrated.”

Most just lately, the president threatened to launch investigations into celebrities like Springsteen and Beyonce who endorsed Kamala Harris, though marketing campaign finance information confirmed no wrongdoing.

As of now, Springsteen continues his world tour and stays brazenly vital of Trump’s politics.

Though the two have never met or spoken immediately, their public back-and-forth continues to replicate the wider cultural and political divide in the U.S.