Latest news with #HouseofaThousandGuitars
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Fact Check: Bruce Springsteen said people are 'last check on power after the checks and balances of government have failed'
Claim: Bruce Springsteen said, 'The last check on power after the checks and balances of government have failed are the people, you and me. It's in the union of people around a common set of values now that's all that stands between a democracy and authoritarianism. So at the end of the day, all we've got is each other.' Rating: In May 2025, a purported quote from musician Bruce Springsteen went viral in which he criticized U.S. President Donald Trump's administration. The quote spread on Facebook, Instagram and X as Trump made Springsteen a target of his criticism, posting about the rock star on his Truth Social account. Springsteen reportedly said: "The last check on power after the checks and balances of government have failed are the people, you and me. It's in the union of people around a common set of values now that's all that stands between a democracy and authoritarianism. So at the end of the day, all we've got is each other." (Facebook user "Robert Reich") Springsteen made the above statement during a concert in Manchester, United Kingdom, on May 14. His official YouTube channel uploaded clips of the musician making the statement. As such, we rate this as a correct attribution. Springsteen spoke about the political situation in the U.S. when introducing three of his songs, "Land of Hope and Dreams," "House of a Thousand Guitars" and "My City of Ruins." The quote came from his introduction to "House of a Thousand Guitars". Springsteen made the statement at the 1:37 mark: A transcript of his remarks from that evening can be found on Springsteen's official website. Below we highlight his introductions to various songs where he criticized the U.S. government without naming Trump specifically (emphasis ours): Introduction to Land of Hope and 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. Tonight, we ask all who believe in democracy and the best of our American experiment to rise with us, raise your voices against authoritarianism and let freedom ring! Introduction to House of a Thousand Guitars The last check, the last check on power after the checks and balances of government have failed are the people, you and me. It's in the union of people around a common set of values now that's all that stands between a democracy and authoritarianism. At the end of the day, all we've really got is each other. Introduction to My City of Ruins There's some very weird, strange and dangerous s**t 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. This is happening now. [...] As we reported previously, Trump wrote a post on Truth Social on May 16 calling Springsteen "a pushy, obnoxious JERK" and a "dried out prune of a rocker (his skin is all atrophied)," adding the rock star should keep his mouth shut until he reenters the country. On May 19, Trump criticized Springsteen again, this time for his support of Trump's Democratic opponent in the 2024 election, former U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris: "HOW MUCH DID KAMALA HARRIS PAY BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN FOR HIS POOR PERFORMANCE DURING HER CAMPAIGN FOR PRESIDENT? WHY DID HE ACCEPT THAT MONEY IF HE IS SUCH A FAN OF HERS? ISN'T THAT A MAJOR AND ILLEGAL CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION?" Snopes previously covered how Springsteen and pop star Taylor Swift both became targets of Trump's criticism. On May 16, the American Federation of Musicians labor union released a statement in support of Swift and Springsteen in the face of Trump's condemnation. Springsteen, a longtime Democrat, also criticized Trump during his first term as president, calling him a "threat to our democracy." Beaumont-Thomas, Ben. "Bruce Springsteen Says Trump Is Running 'Rogue Government' and 'Siding with Dictators.'" The Guardian, 15 May 2025. The Guardian, Accessed 22 May 2025. Ibrahim, Nur. "Taylor Swift, Bruce Springsteen Performed Together in 'defiance' after Trump's Truth Social Attacks?" Snopes, 22 May 2025, Accessed 22 May 2025. "Land of Hope and Dreams." YouTube. Bruce Springsteen, 14 May 2025, Accessed 22 May 2025. Sabla, Elvin. "Land of Hope and Dreams." Bruce Springsteen, 14 May 2025, Accessed 22 May 2025.
AsiaOne
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- AsiaOne
Trump blasts Bruce Springsteen as a 'pushy, obnoxious jerk', Entertainment News
US President Donald Trump has blasted Bruce Springsteen as a "pushy, obnoxious JERK" and "dumb as a rock". The 78-year-old former reality TV star was furious after Springsteen, 75, hit out at the "corruption" and "incompetence" of the Trump administration during a recent concert in Manchester, England, and Trump responded with a lengthy rant via the social media platform Truth Social. Referring to Springsteen campaigning for former US President Joe Biden, he wrote: "Sleepy Joe didn't have a clue as to what he was doing, but Springsteen is 'dumb as a rock,' and couldn't see what was going on, or could he (which is even worse!)? This dried out 'prune' of a rocker (his skin is all atrophied!) ought to KEEP HIS MOUTH SHUT until he gets back into the Country, that's just 'standard fare'. Then we'll all see how it goes for him! He added: "Never liked him, never liked his music, or his Radical Left Politics and, importantly, he's not a talented guy - Just a pushy, obnoxious JERK." Trump's rants came after Springsteen made three separate rants against the "corruption" and "incompetence" of the Trump administration as he and the E Street Band performed in Manchester on his latest UK and European tour. After opening the gig with a performance of Land of Hope and Dreams, The Boss told the audience: "It's great to be in Manchester and back in the UK. Welcome to the Land of Hope and Dreams Tour! The mighty E St. Band is here tonight to call upon the righteous power of art, of music, of rock 'n' roll in dangerous times." Springsteen continued: "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. "Tonight, we ask all who believe in democracy and the best of our American experiment to rise with us, raise your voices against authoritarianism and let freedom ring!" The Born in the USA artist made another political statement before a performance of House of a Thousand Guitars. Springsteen said: "The last check, the last check on power after the checks and balances of government have failed are the people, you and me. "It's in the union of people around a common set of values now that's all that stands between a democracy and authoritarianism. At the end of the day, all we've got is each other." The rocker - who has been a staunch critic of Trump - made another attack on the White House chief and his political ideology as he introduced 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. 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 centres and prisons. This is all happening now." [[nid:716630]]
Yomiuri Shimbun
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Trump Bashes Bruce Springsteen and Taylor Swift on Truth Social
Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post President Donald Trump lobbed insults at both Bruce Springsteen and Taylor Swift on Friday. President Donald Trump took to Truth Social on Friday to disparage Bruce Springsteen and Taylor Swift – both vocal critics of his policies – almost two days after Springsteen condemned Trump during a concert in England. This is not the first time Trump has criticized celebrities such as Springsteen and Swift, both of whom supported Kamala Harris during her 2024 presidential campaign. But Trump's recent social media posts are among his first insulting A-listers since his return to office. During his first term, the president frequently brawled with high-profile entertainers including Meryl Streep and Robert De Niro. Springsteen railed against the Trump administration in three statements made during opening night of his Land of Hope and Dreams Tour in Manchester, England. Before performing 'Land of Hope and Dreams' Wednesday night, he called the administration 'corrupt, incompetent and treasonous.' Ahead of singing 'House of a Thousand Guitars,' he said 'the union of people around a common set of values' are 'all that stands between democracy and authoritarianism.' As he introduced 'My City of Ruins,' Springsteen called Trump an 'unfit president' in a longer speech criticizing what he described as 'very weird, strange and dangerous s— going on' in the United States. '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 said. '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.' He also criticized attacks on free speech, the abandonment of 'the world's poorest children' and the rollback of 'historic civil rights legislation.' Trump, in turn, lambasted Springsteen's political beliefs – and his appearance. 'Never liked him, never liked his music, or his Radical Left Politics and, importantly, he's not a talented guy – Just a pushy, obnoxious JERK, who fervently supported Crooked Joe Biden,' Trump wrote on Truth Social on Friday morning. He also called Springsteen 'Highly Overrated' and 'dumb as a rock' and warned that 'this dried out 'prune' of a rocker (his skin is all atrophied!) ought to KEEP HIS MOUTH SHUT until he gets back into the Country, that's just 'standard fare.' Then we'll all see how it goes for him!' Springsteen performed at a star-studded rally for Harris in October, calling Trump an 'American tyrant.' The White House doubled down on the Springsteen insults in a statement: 'When this loser Springsteen comes back home to his own City of Ruins in his head, he'll realize his Glory Days are behind him and his fans have left him Out in the Street, putting him in a Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out because he has a severe case of Trump Derangement Syndrome that has rotted his brain,' White House Communications Director Steven Cheung wrote in an email to The Washington Post on Friday afternoon. (Yes, those are references to well-known Springsteen songs.) Less than an hour before his Springsteen post, Trump jabbed at Swift, another megastar with a history of criticizing him: 'Has anyone noticed that, since I said 'I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT,' she's no longer 'HOT?'' Trump raged against the pop singer on the same platform in September, days after Swift endorsed Harris for president. The superstar announced after the first Trump-Harris presidential debate that she planned to vote for the vice president in an Instagram post signed 'Taylor Swift, Childless Cat Lady.' In Swift's statement, she cited a Trump endorsement falsely attributed to her as the reason she was being transparent about her voting plans: 'It really conjured up my fears around AI, and the dangers of spreading misinformation,' she wrote. Swift previously compared Trump's presidency to an 'autocracy' and accused him of 'stoking the fires of white supremacy and racism.'
Global News
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Global News
‘Dumb as a rock': Trump fires back at ‘obnoxious jerk' Bruce Springsteen
Donald Trump fired back at rocker Bruce Springsteen on Friday, using his familiar approach to dealing with people he doesn't like — hurling insults on social media and going after their physical appearance. The president of the United States, upset with being name-dropped and criticized by the rock and roll icon at one of his recent concerts, bashed The Boss as 'Highly Overrated' and 'not a talented guy.' 'I see that Highly Overrated Bruce Springsteen goes to a Foreign Country to speak badly about the President of the United States,' Trump wrote on Truth Social. 'Never liked him, never liked his music, or his Radical Left Politics and, importantly, he's not a talented guy.' He went on to accuse Springsteen of being a 'pushy, obnoxious JERK' and 'dumb as a rock,' before zeroing in on his appearance. Story continues below advertisement 'This dried out 'prune' of a rocker (his skin is all atrophied!) ought to KEEP HIS MOUTH SHUT until he gets back into the Country,' the president wrote, seeming to threaten Springsteen with consequences when he returns to U.S. soil. 'Then we'll all see how it goes for him!' Trump's issue with Springsteen stems from earlier this week, after the artist issued some scathing remarks for the president, saying he believes Trump is 'unfit' for the Oval Office. 0:56 Bruce Springsteen calls Trump administration 'corrupt, incompetent, and treasonous' during UK concert While introducing his and the E Street Band's song Land of Hopes and Dreams, after which his current tour is named, the 75-year-old Springsteen said, '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.' Story continues below advertisement 'Tonight, we ask all who believe in democracy and the best of our American experiment to rise with us, raise your voices against authoritarianism and let freedom ring,' he told the crowd in Manchester, England. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy He didn't stop there; throughout the night, he sprinkled the show with criticism of Trump and his administration. Before playing House of a Thousand Guitars, he said: 'The last check on power after the checks and balances of government have failed are the people, you and me. It's in the union of people around a common set of values now that's all that stands between a democracy and authoritarianism. So at the end of the day, all we've got is each other.' Before performing My City of Ruins, he delivered a longer monologue: '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,' he said. View image in full screen Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band perform during the first night of his 'The Land of Hopes and Dreams' tour at Co-op Live on May 14, 2025 in Manchester, England. Shirlaine Forrest / Getty Images He drilled down on his issues with Trump's administration inflicting pain on 'loyal' American workers, trampling over entrenched civil rights and making enemies of storied allies while shaking hands with dictators. Story continues below advertisement '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,' he said to a packed auditorium. Springsteen has long been close friends with Barack and Michelle Obama, after forming close ties during Obama's first presidential campaign in 2008. As USA Today notes, Trump invoked the Born in the U.S.A. singer's name at a campaign rally in Springsteen's home state of New Jersey last year. 'I love these Saturday evenings. Is there anything better than a Trump rally?' Trump said from the stage at the time. 'If some of these wackos came along, you know, these liberal singers, they'd actually vote for me. You know they'd all vote for me. You know, like Bruce Springsteen. We have a much bigger crowd than Bruce Springsteen. Right?' 3:54 Trump takes a jab at Taylor Swift during Philadelphia Eagles White House visit Springsteen wasn't the only musician to spark ire from Trump on Friday; he also attempted to resurrect his feud with Taylor Swift, going after the billionaire pop star in a Truth Social post just minutes before his Springsteen missive. Story continues below advertisement 'Has anyone noticed that, since I said 'I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT,' she's no longer 'HOT?'' Trump wrote. — With files from Global News' Rachel Goodman
Daily Mirror
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Donald Trump slams 'dried out prune' Bruce Springsteen in wild rant
Donald Trump has hit out at Bruce Springsteen after the rocker made three scathing attacks on the US President during a gig in Manchester as part of his UK and European tour Donald Trump has slammed Bruce Springsteen as a "pushy, obnoxious jerk" and "dumb as a rock". The 78-year-old US President was livid when Springsteen, aged 75, criticised the "corruption" and "incompetence" of Trump's governance during a recent gig in Manchester, resulting in Trump unleashing a diatribe on Truth Social. Trump wrote, expressing anger at Springsteen's support for former US President Joe Biden: "I see that Highly Overrated Bruce Springsteen goes to a Foreign Country to speak badly about the President of the United States. Never liked him, never liked his music, or his Radical Left Politics and, importantly, he's not a talented guy — Just a pushy, obnoxious JERK, who fervently supported Crooked Joe Biden, a mentally incompetent fool, and our worst ever President, who came close to destroying our Country. If I wasn't elected, it would have been gone by now! "Sleepy Joe didn't have a clue as to what he was doing, but Springsteen is 'dumb as a rock,' and couldn't see what was going on, or could he (which is even worse!)? This dried-out 'prune' of a rocker (his skin is all atrophied!) ought to keep his mouth shut until he gets back into the Country, that's just 'standard fare.' Then we'll all see how it goes for him!" Trump's rants came after Springsteen made three separate rants against the Trump administration's "corruption" and "incompetence" as he and the E Street Band performed in Manchester on his latest UK and European tour. After opening the gig with a performance of Land of Hope and Dreams, The Boss told the audience: "It's great to be in Manchester and back in the UK. Welcome to the Land of Hope and Dreams Tour! The mighty E St. Band is here tonight to call upon the righteous power of art, of music, of rock 'n' roll in dangerous times." Springsteen continued: "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. Tonight, we ask all who believe in democracy and the best of our American experiment to rise with us, raise your voices against authoritarianism and let freedom ring!" The Born in the USA artist made another political statement before a performance of House of a Thousand Guitars. Springsteen said: "The last check, the last check on power after the checks and balances of government have failed, are the people, you and me. "It's in the union of people around a common set of values now that's all that stands between a democracy and authoritarianism. At the end of the day, all we've got is each other." The rocker, who has been a staunch critic of Trump, launched another attack on the White House chief and his political ideology as he introduced 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. 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 centres and prisons. This is all happening now." He 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. "The America I've sung to you about for 50 years is real and regardless of its faults is a great country with a great people. 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'. Let's pray."
