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By Marni Rose McFall
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Bruce Springsteen has denounced the Trump administration in the opening remarks of his tour, labeling it "corrupt, incompetent and treasonous."
He was speaking Wednesday night as the first show of his Land of Hope and Dreams Tour got underway in Manchester, England.
Newsweek has reached out to a representative for Springsteen outside of regular working hours via email for comment.
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Why It Matters
The 75-year-old musician, known as The Boss, is an influential figure, the 69th most popular all-time musical artist, and 26th most popular classic rock/rock musical artist, according to YouGov. Springsteen, from a working class background with Irish roots, has released 21 studio albums and has been a mainstay in the cultural lexicon since he released Born to Run in 1975.
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He previously endorsed President Barack Obama, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. In his endorsement of Harris in the 2024 Presidential election, he described President Donald Trump as the "most dangerous candidate for president" in his lifetime.
What To Know
Springsteen, perhaps best known for his post-Vietnam-war anthem Born in the U.S.A, has criticized Trump in the past but has stayed relatively quiet since his return to office in January.
But that changed last night. Introducing his song, Land of Hope and Dreams, he said "Tonight we ask all who believe in democracy and the best of our American experiment to rise with us, raise your voice against authoritarianism and let freedom ring!"
Throughout the set, which spanned two-and-a-half hours, Springsteen made multiple references to American politics.
Before the song City of Ruin, he said, "There's some very weird, strange, and dangerous s*** going on out there right now."
"In America, they are persecuting people for using their right to free speech and voicing their dissent. This is happening now. In America, the richest men are taking satisfaction in abandoning the world's poorest children to sickness and death."
Springsteen also referenced deportations. Trump has pledged to deport millions of immigrants without legal status as part of his push for mass removals; authorizing ICE to carry out arrests in or near sensitive locations and invoking the Alien Enemies Act (AEA) to expedite the removal of suspected gang members.
"They are removing residents off American streets and without due process of law, are deporting them to foreign detention centers and prisons," Springsteen said.
What People Are Saying
Bruce Springsteen, speaking at his concert: "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."
What's Next
Springsteen's tour is scheduled to run until July and will see him play 16 shows across six European countries.
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