Bruce Springsteen has the support of his union in the latest set-to with President Donald Trump.
After Trump, in a Truth Social message, called Springsteen a “[b]ad, and very boring singer” who “looks like a dried up prune who has suffered greatly from the work of a really bad plastic surgeon,” Local 802 American Federation of Musicians President Dan Point and Local 47 AFM President Marc Sazer decried the insulting words.
“We can not remain silent as one of our most celebrated members is singled out and personally attacked by the President of the United States,” the union presidents said in a joint statement today. “Bruce Springsteen is not just a brilliant musician, he is a voice for working people, a symbol of American resilience, and an inspiration to millions in this country and around the world.
“From Nebraska to Born to Run,” they continued, “his music has spoken truth to power for decades, and that is exactly what he is doing now. Musicians have the right to freedom of expression, and we stand in complete solidarity with Bruce and every member who uses their platform to speak their conscience. Local 802 and Local 47 will always defend that right.”
Springsteen is a member of Local 47 (Los Angeles, CA) and Local 399 (Asbury Park, NJ).
Trump apparently was triggered by Springsteen’s remarks on Tuesday during a Minneapolis concert that launched his new tour. “The America that I love, the America … that has been a beacon of hope and liberty around the world is currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent, racist, reckless and treasonous administration,” Springsteen said to applause. He called on the crowd to choose “unity over division” and encouraged them not be despondent.
Springsteen released a new song, “Streets of Minneapolis,” following the recent killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents conducting immigration raids across the Twin Cities. He also spoke out against Trump on a European tour last year.
Trump maintains that Springsteen “has long had a horrible and incurable case of Trump Derangement Syndrome, sometimes referred to as TDS. The guy is a total loser who spews hate against a President who won a Landslide Election, including the popular vote, all Seven Swing States, and 86% of the Counties across America. Under Sleepy Joe and the Dems, our Country was DEAD, and now we have the ‘hottest’ Country, by far, anywhere in the World.”
In the Truth Social post, Trump, using his usual all-caps style, called on MAGA to boycott Springsteen’s “overpriced concerts,” which, the President of the United States added, “suck.”
