From 'incompetent and treasonous' to 'dried out "prune,"' Bruce Springsteen and Donald Trump trade barbs in latest feud

President Trump and rock icon Bruce Springsteen are currently engaged in a public feud after Springsteen condemned Trump during the inaugural show of his European tour.

While it’s not the first time Springsteen, 75, has spoken out against the president, this latest fight stems from comments Springsteen made onstage in Manchester, England, on May 14.

“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,” Springsteen said.

In response, Trump wrote on Truth Social, “I see that Highly Overrated Bruce Springsteen goes to a Foreign Country to speak badly about the President of the United States.”

The two have continued to trade insults, and on Monday, Trump even threatened to investigate Springsteen and other Democrat-supporting musicians. Here’s how we got here.

Springsteen fires the first shot during his European tour

Springsteen, who’s in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, kicked off his 2025 Land of Hope and Dreams European tour last Wednesday in Manchester, telling those in the crowd “who believe in democracy and the best of our American experience to rise with us, raise your voices against authoritarianism and let freedom ring.”

Later on in the performance, before singing “My City of Ruins,” Springsteen voiced more personal concerns about the political situation in the United States.

“There’s some very weird, strange and dangerous shit going on out there,” he said. “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.”

Trump responded in a post on Truth Social two days later, calling Springsteen "dumb as a rock."

“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,’” Trump wrote.

The following night, while performing again in Manchester, Springsteen continued to criticize Trump.

"A majority of our elected representatives have failed to protect the American people from the abuses of an unfit president and a rogue government," Springsteen said. A transcript of Springsteen's remarks was later posted to his website.

Taylor Rogers, the White House assistant press secretary, also commented on Springsteen’s speech, saying, “The 77 million Americans that elected President Trump disagree with elitist and out-of-touch celebrities like Bruce Springsteen. Bruce is welcome to stay overseas while hard-working Americans enjoy a secure border and cooling inflation thanks to President Trump.”

Trump calls for ‘major investigation’ into celebrity endorsements of Harris

In the aftermath of Springsteen's comments, Trump posted early Monday morning that he plans to call for a "major investigation" into appearances made by Springsteen and other artists on behalf of former Vice President Kamala Harris's 2024 presidential campaign, suggesting they may constitute an unlawful campaign contribution.

“HOW MUCH DID KAMALA HARRIS PAY BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN FOR HIS POOR PERFORMANCE DURING HER CAMPAIGN FOR PRESIDENT?” Trump wrote. “This was a very expensive and desperate effort to artificially build up her sparse crowds. IT’S NOT LEGAL! For these unpatriotic ‘entertainers,’ this was just a CORRUPT & UNLAWFUL way to capitalize on a broken system.”

Not the first time Springsteen has spoken out against Trump

Springsteen's remarks on May 14 were not the first he's made about Trump. Throughout his long-running music career, Springsteen has also spoken out about several other Republican political figures, including former President Ronald Reagan and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

In addition to campaigning for Trump's opponents in the 2016, 2020 and 2024 elections, Springsteen has openly criticized Trump himself in the past. In 2016, Springsteen publicly called Trump a "flagrant toxic narcissist." Four years later, during the 2020 election, Springsteen said that "a good portion of our fine country, to my eye, has been thoroughly hypnotized, brainwashed by a con man from Queens."

Music community supports Springsteen

The American Federation of Musicians issued a statement on May 16 in support of Springsteen as well as singer Taylor Swift, who Trump had insulted the same day in a post on Truth Social.

“The American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada will not remain silent as two of our members — Bruce Springsteen and Taylor Swift — are singled out and personally attacked by the President of the United States,” the AFM statement reads. “Musicians have the right to freedom of expression, and we stand in solidarity with all our members.”

Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder offered support for Springsteen at a concert in Pittsburgh over the weekend, saying, "Bruce has always been a true American with his values of freedom and liberty and his justice has always remained intact." While Vedder did not name Trump specifically, he added, "Part of free speech is open discussion, part of democracy is healthy public discourse. The name-calling is so beneath us." Pearl Jam also covered Springsteen's "My City of Ruins" during the show.