Bruce Springsteen blasted the Trump administration as “reckless and treasonous” as he kicked off his American tour with a pointed concert in Minnesota Tuesday night.
The 76-year-old billionaire ranted against policies that President Trump has implemented since he took office — such as the crackdown on illegal immigration and the ongoing Iran war — during his three-hour-long “Land of Hope & Dreams American Tour” show in Minneapolis, Minn.
“We are living through some very dark times,” Springsteen claimed to the sold-out Target Center, according to Variety. “Our American values that have sustained us for 250 years are being challenged as never before. We’ve got our young men and women’s lives at risk in an unconstitutional and illegal war.”
The current Iranian conflict, dubbed Operation Epic Fury, is officially designated a US combat operation, with the Senate voting to block a war powers resolution that targeted Trump’s rein of military authority.
The New Jersey native repeated several taglines throughout the concert that he has used over the past year in his numerous attacks against the White House.
“We are here in celebration and defense of our American ideals,” Springsteen said. “Democracy, our Constitution and our sacred American promise, the America that I love, the America that I’ve written about for 50 years, that’s been a beacon of hope and liberty around the world, is currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent, racist, reckless, and treasonous administration.”
Springsteen, a fierce advocate and supporter for former Vice President Kamala Harris’ failed presidential campaign, rambled off a laundry list of grievances of Trump policies.
The singer’s opposition included illegal immigrants being detained, the way Attorney General Pam Bondi was running the Justice Department and the US cutting off aid to foreign entities.
“The richest men in America have abandoned the world’s poorest children through death and disease, through their dismantling of US aid,” he said.
“We are abandoning NATO and the world order that’s kept us safe and at global peace for 80 years,” Springsteen said, dismissing the countless military operations in the Middle East since at least the 1960s.
“Our museums are being told to whitewash American history of any unpleasant or inconvenient facts like the full history of the brutality of slavery. You want to talk about snowflakes? We have a president who can’t handle the truth.
“While working Americans struggle, our president and his family enrich themselves by billions of dollars training on the people’s office in corruption unmatched in American history,” he said.
Springsteen’s first song of the night was his 1986 track “War” before he returned to his stammering speech of anti-Trump rhetoric, accusing the White House of “destroying the American ideal and our reputation around the world.”
Throughout the concert, Springsteen repeatedly shouted, “This is happening now” and claimed we are in a “critical moment.”
“To many, we are no longer looked upon as an often imperfect but strong defender of democracy standing for the global good, we are no longer the land of the free and the home of the brave.
“We are now, to many, America the reckless, unpredictable, predatory rogue nation. That is this administration’s and this president’s legacy,” he repeated.
Springsteen, who was branded a hypocrite for the ridiculous high prices he was charging for his “working-class” crowd, called on his fans to “fight” against the elected politicians.
“So many of our elected leaders have failed us that this American tragedy can only be stopped by the American people,” he said. “So join us and let’s fight for the America that we love.”
Before the concert, Springsteen was glorified by his Minnesota followers with a star at Minneapolis concert venue First Avenue for his work during the anti-ICE protests in the city back in January.
Springsteen performed his protest track “Streets of Minneapolis” following the deaths of anti-ICE agitators Renee Good and Alex Pretti on Jan. 28.
For his performance of the controversial track, Springsteen stood at center stage alone as audience members waved their flashlights in the air as the words “ICE Out Now,” lit up the screens in the arena.
“We’ll take our stand for this land/And the stranger in our midst/We’ll remember the names of those who died/On the streets of Minneapolis,” he sang.
Springsteen is expected to continue his anti-Trump tour across the 20-stops, including four in New York, before wrapping up with a show in Washington, DC, on May 27.
With Post wires
