Bruce Springsteen performs during a "No Kings" protest against U.S. President Donald Trump's administration policies, in St. Paul, Minnesota, March 28, 2026.
On Thursday morning, President Donald Trump posted a lengthy diatribe against rockstar Bruce Springsteen, calling the singer “boring,” accusing him of having “Trump Derangement Syndrome,” and disparaging his appearance before urging MAGA to “boycott his overpriced concerts, which suck.”
Security expert and Atlantic contributor Tom Nichols had a frank assessment of the president’s post, tweeting, “The President of the United States is an emotionally unstable man with obvious cognitive issues. We are in the middle of a war, he tanked an important speech to the nation, and this is what he's worried about.”
While Trump has attacked Springsteen before, this particular post seems to be in response to statements the singer made onstage Tuesday night during the kickoff of his latest tour.
“While working Americans struggle,” said the Boss, “our president and his family enrich themselves by billions of dollars trading on the people’s office in corruption unmatched in American history.”
He went on to assert that Trump is “destroying the American idea and our reputation around the world,” and that the U.S. is “no longer the land of the free and the home of the brave” but a “reckless, unpredictable, predatory rogue nation. That is this administration’s and this president’s legacy.”
Trump was, unsurprisingly, not happy about Springsteen’s assessment, saying the “Born in the USA” singer “looks like a dried up prune.”
As Nichols pointed out, Trump’s response came the morning after his national address on the war against Iran, which has caused gas prices to skyrocket and disrupted the global economy with no end in sight. The president’s fixation on Springsteen has prompted many to question his priorities.
“We are on the brink of World War III and a global recession, and Trump woke up thinking about Bruce Springsteen,” posted a popular America First account, the owner of which is a two-time Trump voter. “You can’t make this up.”
For his part, Springsteen had something to say about the conflict: “I want to begin tonight with a prayer for our men and women in service overseas. We are here in celebration and defense of our American ideals. The America I love 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. We ask you to join with us in choosing hope over fear, unity over division, and peace over war.”
