Bruce Springsteen called the Trump administration “corrupt, incompetent and treasonous” during the opening night of his “Land of Hope & Dreams” tour with the E Street Band in Manchester, England on Wednesday.
The 75-year-old New Jersey native, who endorsed former Vice President Kamala Harris during her 2024 presidential campaign and once called President Trump “an American tyrant,” had some poignant remarks before opening the show with the song the tour is named for, “Land of Hope & Dreams.”
“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,” Springsteen said.
Later, before going into “My City of Ruins” Springsteen voiced his concerns on the Trump administration’s ongoing crackdown on civil liberties
“In America, they are persecuting people for using their right to free speech and voicing their dissent.” Springsteen said. “This is happening now. In America, the richest men are taking satisfaction in abandoning the world’s poorest children to sickness and death.
“This is happening now. In my country, they’re taking sadistic pleasure in the pain they inflict on loyal American workers. They’re rolling back historic civil rights legislation that has led to a more just and plural society. They are abandoning our great allies and siding with dictators against those struggling for their freedom. They are defunding American universities that won’t bow down to their ideological demands.”
Springsteen also stated current representatives “have failed to protect the American people from the abuses of an unfit president and a rogue government."
Video of the remarks, as well as a transcript of what Springsteen said, has been posted to his website.
The tour spans six countries throughout Europe with 16 dates scheduled. The tour ends in Milan on July 3.
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Murjani Rawls may be reached at mrawls@njadvancemedia.com