Donald Trump just compared Bruce Springsteen to a dehydrated fruit that got mangled by a surgeon.
The president unleashed a scorching Truth Social post going after The Boss for turning his new concert tour into what amounts to a three-hour political sermon with guitar solos. As The American Tribune reported, Trump urged his MAGA faithful to skip Springsteen's shows entirely and keep their cash in their pockets instead.
So what kicked off this geriatric beef? Springsteen launched his 20-date "Land of Hope and Dreams American Tour" at Minneapolis's Target Center on March 31st. He had literally promised in advance that the whole thing would be political. And boy, did he deliver. The nearly three-hour performance featured multiple speeches ripping into Trump, then-Attorney General Pam Bondi, immigration enforcement, and pretty much the entire administration's foreign policy playbook. He opened with Edwin Starr's "War" and then called the administration "corrupt, incompetent, racist, reckless and treasonous." He also labeled Trump a "snowflake" who "can't handle the truth." Bold words from a man who charges concert prices that could cover a mortgage payment.
Two days later, Trump fired back with the subtlety of a freight train. He called Springsteen a "bad, and very boring singer" who resembled "a dried up prune who has suffered greatly from the work of a really bad plastic surgeon." He diagnosed the rocker with a terminal case of "Trump Derangement Syndrome" and called him a "total loser who spews hate." Trump also reminded everyone that he won the popular vote, swept all seven swing states, grabbed 312 electoral votes, and carried 86 percent of counties nationwide, according to Variety.
Springsteen, for his part, seems completely unbothered. He told the Minnesota Star Tribune that his philosophy is pretty straightforward. He does whatever he wants, says whatever he wants, and then people respond however they want. He acknowledged that losing fans is just "part of it" and said he's fully prepared for the consequences. The tour was even branded with "No Kings" political messaging, so nobody can claim they were blindsided by a surprise civics lecture between "Born to Run" and the encore.
The rocker also performed "Streets of Minneapolis," a protest song about ICE operations that he released in January following the fatal shooting of Renée Good and Alex Pretti by federal immigration officers during enforcement operations in the city.
Springsteen endorsed Kamala Harris during the 2024 campaign and previously called Trump the most dangerous presidential candidate of his lifetime. Trump won anyway, which apparently has not dampened Bruce's enthusiasm for mixing rock concerts with political rallies.
Trump wrapped up his post with the kind of all-caps energy that would make a caps lock key file for workers' comp. "MAGA SHOULD BOYCOTT HIS OVERPRICED CONCERTS, WHICH SUCK. SAVE YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY. AMERICA IS BACK!!!"
So there you have it. A 76-year-old rock legend and a 78-year-old president are beefing online like rival influencers fighting over brand deals. Democracy is thriving.
Read more American news stories at: The American Tribune
