President Donald Trump began the week by threatening a quartet of accomplished musical artists who have dared to challenge his radical MAGA hegemony with federal prosecution. In typical unhinged fashion, Trump lashed out at superstars Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Bruce Springsteen and Bono (an Irish citizen legally beyond his reptilian reach) — demanding a major investigation into these “unpatriotic entertainers” who campaigned for Kamala Harris last year, musicians he accused of being “corrupt and unlawful.”
In reality, Trump’s rant was ignited by Springsteen’s acerbic comments on stage at two concerts in Manchester, England last week. Springsteen, who is 75 and has taken part in American political and social protests since he played the No Nukes festival at Madison Square Garden in 1979, spoke more directly than any major entertainment figure has since Trump’s inauguration. Before those words sink into the oozing quicksand of daily outrage and click-chasing Trump media coverage, it’s worth a closer look at the message — because I think it’s an important moment in the evolution of the growing opposition to this authoritarian gang.
First, it’s important to note that Springsteen’s words were scripted. I watched the videos from both nights, and the words were clearly on the lyrics prompter that major artists use on stage. This was no rant of the moment — it was intentional, targeted and as carefully crafted as any song off Darkness on the Edge of Town. Springsteen posted a video and a full transcript to his website. This was a plan.
This was no rant of the moment — it was intentional, targeted and as carefully crafted as any song off Darkness on the Edge of Town.
Secondly, Springsteen didn’t pull any punches — no references to “our national divide” or “both sides” or “polarization.” He was direct, angry and precise in his language. This was pure lights out tonight, trouble in the heartland:
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.
Thirdly, Springsteen was clearly paying attention — both to the most egregious outrages of the Trump administration, and to the nature of the American opposition to its extremism. He made a seven-point list that directly relates to what he believes are the worst abuses of these long four months. It’s worthwhile to review these, because they align closely not only with the myriad court cases and lawsuits challenging Trump’s henchmen, but also with what protestors and activists are saying in thousands of rallies around the country. In Springsteen’s words, “There’s some very weird, strange and dangerous shit going on out there right now.”
These are Springsteen’s seven key talking points (annotated with links):
- 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. 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.
- They are removing residents off American streets and, without due process of law, are deporting them to foreign detention centers and prisons. This is all happening now.
This is a list devoid of fatty media outrage and flabby distraction — it cuts to the bone of American values in this imperfect republic, and it gets to the heart of the current struggle. As Springsteen said: “A majority of our elected representatives have failed to protect the American people from the abuses of an unfit president and a rogue government. They have no concern or idea for what it means to be deeply American.”
This intentionally includes the Republican Congress in the indictment, rightly so. Either cowed by — or under the drunken influence of — MAGA authoritarianism and threats, the GOP is no longer a functioning political party. It is a cult of personality and power redolent of the Europe of the 1930s.
Can a 75-year-old rock star speaking out on a European tour and playing his hits of the last five decades really launch a cultural moment in the pro-democracy opposition to Trump and his gang? That’s a tall order indeed, but I have to give Springsteen some significant credit here: for one, he’s out there trying and speaking fiercely and directly. This is not some mealy-mouthed aside to make himself look good. And for another, his long career as a trusted poet of the working class carries weight — which is his authentic origin story even if he’s now an ultra wealthy coastal megastar who moves units mainly to aging college educated people. Finally, he’s an icon, he’s got what Trump would probably think of as “FU money,” he has hundreds of millions of fans, and he’s spending his privilege (as the kids might say in no Springsteen song ever) on taking a mighty stand.
What he needs is more public allies from much broader cultural backgrounds. I found it fascinating that Trump once again went in on Swift and Beyonce, the two most successful acts in the U.S. and perhaps globally — both opposed Trump with a pretty light touch last year, and neither can be described as activists or truly political. Yet their respective fan bases are the most active out there (Beyonce is out on a big tour in support of her excellent Cowboy Carter record), and any kind of true spark that ignites further opposition — particularly among younger people – could have a major impact.
Trump is currently floating in a cosseted bubble of automatic approval from his lickspittle corps of yes men and women. So he feels pretty easy about issuing threats and frankly, seems to believe that both his Justice Department and gangs of followers will follow up on them. Hence the last line in his online tirade on Springsteen: “we’ll all see how it goes for him…”
We will indeed — but I’m glad Springsteen is showing no fear. That’s what matters now.
“The America l’ve sung to you about for 50 years is real and regardless of its faults is a great country with a great people,” said Springsteen in Manchester. “So we’ll survive this moment. Now, I have hope, because I believe in the truth of what the great American writer James Baldwin said. He said, “In this world, there isn’t as much humanity as one would like, but there’s enough.”
Tom Watson is a veteran consultant to nonprofits and civil society organizations, and an instructor in the nonprofit management graduate program at Columbia University.