The “Born in the U.S.A.” singer, who backed his opponent in the 2024 elections, is among the few public icons to publicly criticise the Trump administration.
At a Manchester event on May 14, Bruce Springsteen gave an impassioned statement against Donald Trump and his government. The criticism came quickly, with some supporters even saying he ought to leave the nation.
While launching his “Land of Hope and Dreams” tour with the E Street Band in Manchester, the singer made the comments live.
During the show, Springsteen told the crowd, “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 continued with a rallying call, “Tonight, we ask all who believe in democracy and the best of our American experiment to rise with us, raise your voices against authoritarianism and let freedom ring.”
Bruce Springsteen’s remarks sparked immediate reactions online, with fans weighing in from both sides. One fan seemed baffled by the move, writing, “You can’t criticize your president in front of a foreign audience. I don’t understand why the model doesn’t hold up.”
Another person disapproved, “Would never do that in America [sic],” while someone else called him out, “Dude is clueless.”
The backlash continued with a fan asking, “Has he lost his mind ????” and another adding a touch of sarcasm, “Looks like someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed.” Some went as far as suggesting, “Time to move away Bruce. Take your negativity with you.”
Still, not everyone was critical. One supporter praised him, “Amazing words – thank you, Bruce!” Another fan echoed that sentiment, “I love Bruce and his heartfelt rants. I wish more artists would speak up.”
Springsteen declared his support for Tim Walz and Kamala Harris in the 2024 race, arguing that they were the most qualified candidates to guide the nation through what he called one of the most important periods in its history. He made it clear that he passionately opposed both Vice President JD Vance and Trump.
As he reflected on the situation of the country, Springsteen said that since the Civil War, the US had not seemed more emotionally, politically, and spiritually divided. Nevertheless, he thought that America might reunite and restore the common ideals and shared history that previously characterised the country.
“Now, that will take time, hard work and intelligence, faith and woman and men with the national good guiding their hearts,” he said.
According to Springsteen, America’s real might extended beyond its economic and military prowess. He believed that the nation’s fundamental principles—freedom, social fairness, equal opportunity, and the unrestricted right to love—were what gave it its strength.
He described Trump as the “most dangerous candidate for president” he had seen in his lifetime. “His disdain for the sanctity of our Constitution, the sanctity of democracy, the sanctity of the rule of law and the sanctity of the peaceful transfer of power should disqualify him from the office of president ever again,” Springsteen declared.
The artist contended that Donald Trump was unable to understand the history, the spirit of the country, or what it meant to be an American.
“On the other hand, Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are committed to a vision of this country that respects and includes everyone, regardless of class, religion, race, your political point of view or sexual identity, and they want to grow our economy in a way that benefits all, not just the few, like me, on top. That’s the vision of America I’ve been consistently writing about for 55 years,” noted Springsteen.
He concluded by stating that each American had the right to choose their own political position. Nevertheless, he declared that Harris and Walz would receive his vote, which he regarded as one of his most prized assets.
Springsteen has not backed down from utilising his voice, despite the fact that Trump ended up winning the election and his favourite candidates lost.
He keeps speaking out against what he sees as the threats posed by Trump and his government, asking people to consider the principles that once bound the country together.
Actor Robert De Niro had already sparked political controversy with a daring speech at the Cannes Film Festival before Springsteen’s remarks made news. Using his stage time to express gratitude, the celebrated actor accepted an honorary Palme d’Or for lifetime accomplishment on May 13. Reflections about his career were interspersed with scathing political criticism, specifically directed at Trump, by De Niro.
The “Titanic” actor Leonardo DiCaprio gave the honour to the film star. Fourteen years have passed since De Niro presided over the jury at the esteemed film festival in 2011.
De Niro discussed US political trends in his acceptance speech, mentioning Trump in particular.
He said, “In my country, we are fighting like [expletive] for the democracy we once took for granted.” He said, “That affects all of us here because the arts are democratic.”
The link between democratic values and the arts was highlighted by De Niro, who said, “That’s why we are a threat to autocrats and fascists.”
He went on to discuss the recent nomination and policy plans of the US president. De Niro remarked, “America’s philistine president has had himself appointed head of one of our premier cultural institutions,” alluding to the president’s appointment as chair of the John F. Kennedy Centre for the Acting Arts.
Aside from criticising the introduction of additional tariffs, the “Goodfellas” alum said, “He has cut funding and support to the arts, humanities, and education, and now he has announced a 100 per cent tariff on films that are produced outside the US.”
“Let that sink in for a minute,” he said to the audience after a lengthy silence.
Calling the situation unacceptable, De Niro urged action beyond American borders. “All these attacks are unacceptable. And this isn’t just an American problem, it’s a global one,” he said.
He closed this portion of his speech with a call to action. “Like a film, we can’t just all sit back and watch. We have to act, and we have to act now without violence but with great passion and determination. It’s time for anyone who cares about liberty to organise, to protest, and when there are elections, of course, to vote.”
Social media users responded to De Niro’s remarks in a variety of ways, as was to be expected. The passion of his statement was conveyed in a number of comments on TikTok.
One person wrote, “Who hurt him?” Another added, “A man with courage.” A third commented, “Words are powerful when spoken with conviction.”
Meanwhile, opinions varied significantly on Facebook. One netizen wrote, “Very well said. Powerful speech.” Another commented, “Shame on him.”
A different person reacted by saying, “This guy is insane Out of touch completely [sic],” while someone else noted, “So disrespectful [sic].”
There were also supportive remarks, including, “Very well spoken by Mr DeNiro. We need to take this seriously and fight back.” However, criticism continued with another stating, “He is a joke.”
In the lead-up to the event, De Niro shared his thoughts on receiving the honor. “I have such close feelings for Festival de Cannes…” he declared. “Especially now when there’s so much in the world pulling us apart, Cannes brings us together — storytellers, filmmakers, fans, and friends. It’s like coming home.”
Tiffany Chen, his 45-year-old girlfriend, walked beside him on the red carpet. His daughter, Helen Grace, was also with the pair.
In December 2011, a surrogate gave birth to his daughter. People magazine was informed at the time by De Niro’s agent that he and his then-wife, Grace Hightower, had given birth to a daughter.
She is the second child of the ex-couple, following her older brother Elliot, and weighed 7 pounds, 2 ounces at birth.
At the time of Helen’s birth, De Niro was also the father of four other children: twin sons Julian and Aaron, born through surrogacy with his ex-girlfriend Toukie Smith, and daughter Drena and son Raphael with his ex-wife Diahnne Abbott.
