The battle between MAGA nation and liberal celebrities reached fever pitch this week when rock icon Bruce Springsteen took aim at Donald Trump from across the Atlantic, igniting an immediate firestorm of outrage from Trump supporters and a blistering response from the president himself.
The heated exchange highlighted the deep cultural divide that continues to define American politics in 2025.
Right-leaning magazine Outkick posted a video of Springsteen’s diatribe and posted it on the X platform, writing, “Imagine buying tickets to a Bruce Springsteen concert and just getting an “America bad” lecture the whole time.”
Imagine buying tickets to a Bruce Springsteen concert and just getting an “America bad” lecture the whole time. pic.twitter.com/T0aTYvhCP5
— OutKick (@Outkick) May 15, 2025
The 75-year-old “Born in the USA” singer didn’t hold back while kicking off his “Land of Hope and Dreams” tour in Manchester, England, on Wednesday night, delivering what many call his most direct and damning criticism of the Trump administration to date.
“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 told the cheering British crowd on May 14.
The Boss accused the Trump administration of “taking sadistic pleasure in the pain that they inflict on loyal American workers” and “rolling back historic civil rights legislation that has led to a more just and plural society.”
MAGA supporters immediately blasted Springsteen for criticizing America on foreign soil, with Trump taking to Truth Social Friday to launch a personal attack on the legendary musician.
“I see that Highly Overrated Bruce Springsteen goes to a Foreign Country to speak badly about the President of the United States,” Trump wrote. “Never liked him, never liked his music, or his Radical Left Politics and, importantly, he’s not a talented guy.”
“Highly Overated” Bruce Springsteen!
😂😂😂😂😂😂
This guy trump IS demented and senile!! pic.twitter.com/MGYDlj1GlP— Steve Perry formerly @StevenConnie70 40k b4 Leon (@bohica172) May 16, 2025
Trump escalated the attack, calling Springsteen a “pushy, obnoxious JERK” who’s “dumb as a rock” before mocking his appearance as a “dried out ‘prune’ of a rocker.”
The racial dynamics underlying America’s political divide surfaced as comedian D.L. Hughley quickly voiced support for Springsteen.
“Not only do I have respect for @springsteen, one of the most ICONIC AMERICAN ROCK LEGENDS for using his voice to sound the alarm, I have even more respect and admiration for him, for sharing that moment with another American icon #JamesBaldwin,” Hughley wrote, connecting Springsteen’s stand to Black resistance.
Meanwhile, Trump ally Kid Rock appeared on Fox News to defend the president and attack Springsteen’s credibility as a working-class hero.
“His politics are so a— backwards,” Kid Rock declared on “Jesse Watters Primetime,” telling the rocker to “Stay in Europe, Bruce. Have fun.”
He went on to unleash a crude attack on liberal women and Springsteen’s fans, saying, “We have this low birth rate in America, and it all makes sense to me. Who’s going to sleep with these ugly, broke, crazy, deranged, TDS liberal women?”
The conflict spread like wildfire across social media, with Trump’s base rallying behind their leader.
One MAGA supporter tweeted, “Springsteen forced me (a huge fan of his) to choose between him and Trump. This fan chose Trump. [Middle Finger] Bruce!”
Another tweeted, “He just hates it that Trump is the real Boss! Bruce is just a P.O.S.”
Springsteen defenders matched the intensity, with one writing, “STFU Donald Trump, like always you are fighting and attacking Americans. Trump is NOW fighting Taylor Swift and Bruce Springsteen.”
Another supporter pointed to Trump’s reaction as validation, saying, “Potentially the most offensive thing Trump has said in his whole life. I love Bruce.”
The clash comes after Springsteen’s long history of Democratic support, including campaigning for Kamala Harris in Georgia during the 2024 election. Trump’s attack on Springsteen came alongside jabs at Taylor Swift, another Harris supporter, with Trump bizarrely claiming Swift is “no longer ‘HOT’” since he criticized her, according to MSNBC.
For Black Americans and other marginalized communities watching this culture war play out, the stakes extend far beyond celebrity feuds.
Springsteen specifically called out the administration for “rolling back historic civil rights legislation” – a concern that resonates deeply with many voters of color who worry about the erosion of hard-won progress under the new administration.
As America’s political and cultural divides continue to deepen, this high-profile confrontation between one of rock’s most enduring voices and the MAGA movement reveals how thoroughly politics has infiltrated every aspect of American life – even rock ’n’ roll.
