The Bruce Springsteen concert I went to in Brooklyn last week was unlike any I’ve been to in decades. It wasn’t just a fantastic, joyful show—it was also a powerful act of resistance.
Right from the start, Springsteen made it clear this concert was part of the anti-Trump movement. It was a three-hour tribute to resistance and a strong call for his fans to do more to defend democracy and stand up against authoritarianism. In doing so, Springsteen showed how celebrities can take a stand against Trump and fight for what’s right.
Like at other shows on his Land of Hope and Dreams tour, Springsteen opened the Brooklyn concert with some safe, patriotic remarks: “We begin tonight with a prayer for our men and women serving overseas. We pray for an end to this conflict and for their safe return.” But then he immediately shifted into full resistance mode: “The E Street Band is here tonight to celebrate and defend the American ideals and values that have supported our country for 250 years. We call on the righteous power of art, music, and rock ’n’ roll in these dangerous times.”
He continued: “Our democracy, our constitution, and our rule of law are being challenged right now like never before by a reckless, racist, incompetent, and treasonous president and his ship of fools administration. So tonight, we ask all of you to join us in choosing hope over fear, democracy over authoritarianism, the rule of law over lawlessness, ethics over corruption, resistance over complacency, truth over lies, unity over division, and peace over war.”
As soon as he said “war,” the E Street Band launched into Motown’s famous anti-Vietnam song, “War (What Is It Good For).” The crowd roared back the answer: “Absolutely nothing.” It was Springsteen’s not-so-subtle way of criticizing Trump’s disastrous conflict with Iran. Then, to huge applause, he sang his own powerful anti-war anthem, “Born in the USA.”
One of the last songs of the night was another bold message aimed at our authoritarian president: Bob Dylan’s “Chimes of Freedom.” Springsteen sang about those chimes flashing “for the refugees on the unarmed road of flight” and “for the rebel,” “the outcast,” and “the underdog.” For an arena full of fans both young and old, he also played the classic hits they wanted to hear: “Born to Run,” “Hungry Heart,” and “Dancing in the Dark.” As a special treat, Tom Morello joined Springsteen for an intense version of “The Ghost of Tom Joad,” which paints a bleak picture of a “new world order” with “families sleeping in their cars.” Throughout the high-energy concert, Springsteen had incredible, nonstop energy, seeming more like 26 than 76.
If anyone still wondered whether this was a night of resistance, Springsteen made it clear with a direct jab at Trump: “Honesty, honor, humility, character, truth, compassion, humanity, thoughtfulness, morality, true strength, and decency—don’t let anyone tell you these things don’t matter anymore. They do. So many of our elected leaders have failed us that this American tragedy can only be stopped by the American people—by you. So join us and let’s fight for the America we love.”
Then he shouted, “Are you with us? Are you with us?” The crowd roared back with thousands of yeses.
In another dig at Trump, Springsteen said: “Our museums are being told to whitewash American history of any unpleasant or inconvenient facts, like the full story of the brutality of slavery. You want to talk about snowflakes? We have a president who can’t handle the truth.”
Springsteen seemed completely at ease as he criticized Trump, who has childishly (and absurdly) called him a “total loser” and “not a talented guy.” From his early days in Asbury Park, Springsteen has always stood up for the working class.singing about “broken heroes” who “sweat it out,” Vietnam vets who “ain’t got nowhere to go,” and twenty-somethings for whom there “ain’t been much work.” While Trump has been giving to billionaires, Springsteen has been fighting for working people—those who get the short end of the stick. That’s earned him incredible trust among average Americans.
Sure, plenty of other celebrities have stood up to Trump, like Stephen Colbert, John Legend, Jimmy Kimmel, Robert De Niro, Lady Gaga, country star Zach Bryan, and Natalie Maines of the Chicks. Unfortunately, the brave Mr. Colbert seems to have been punished for criticizing the thin-skinned president. His last show was on Thursday (Springsteen appeared on Wednesday’s episode). Maybe because Springsteen knows hundreds of thousands of Americans are willing to pay $100 or more to see him perform, he takes on Trump with less hesitation and more boldness than other celebrities. The Boss doesn’t have any corporate bosses watching his every word.
His resistance is unwavering. In Brooklyn and at every concert, he delivers a version of this attack: “So many American families struggle while our president and his family enrich themselves by billions of dollars, trading on the people’s office in corruption unmatched in American history… This White House is destroying the American idea and our reputation around the world. We once stood as a beacon of hope and liberty—an imperfect but strong defender of democracy, working for the global good. But to many now, we’re just America: the reckless, unpredictable, predatory, untrustworthy rogue nation that is this administration and this president’s legacy.”
Every resistance movement needs an anthem, and Springsteen has answered by writing The Streets of Minneapolis, which condemns Trump’s deployment of thousands of masked agents to intimidate that deep-blue city—to essentially step on its neck.
When he started singing Streets of Minneapolis, the crowd went wild. Here’s an excerpt:
“Oh, our Minneapolis, I hear your voice
Singing through the bloody mist
We’ll take our stand for this land
And the stranger in our midst
Here in our home, they killed and roamed
In the winter of ‘26
We’ll remember the names of those who died
On the streets of Minneapolis …”
At the song’s end, he led a deafening chant: “ICE out now!” and giant photos of Renée Good and Alex Pretti suddenly appeared behind the stage.
Springsteen has carried his resistance message across the country. At the flagship No Kings rally in St. Paul in late March, he told the huge crowd: “The power and solidarity of the people of Minneapolis and Minnesota inspired the entire nation… You gave us hope. You gave us courage. And for those who gave their lives—Renée Good, mother of three, brutally murdered, and Alex Pretti, VA nurse, executed by ICE and left to die in the street without even the decency of our lawless government investigating their deaths—their bravery, their sacrifice, and their names will not be forgotten.”
At his Minneapolis concert on March 31, he movingly shared Good’s last words: “To the man she was protesting against, the man who would take her life, she said: ‘That’s fine, dude, I’m not mad at you. I’m not mad.’ God bless her.
“So tonight, when you go home,” Springsteen continued, “hold your loved ones close. And tomorrow, do as Renée did: find a way to take aggressive, peaceful action to defend our country’s ideals. And as the great civil rights leader John Lewis said, ‘Go out and get into some good trouble.’
“God bless Alex Pretti, God bless Renée Good, God bless you, and God bless America.”
What’s giving me hope now
I, along with many others at the Barclays Center concert, left feeling energized and inspired. I imagine hundreds of thousands of fans who’ve seen Springsteen in concerts across the US in recent weeks feel the same way. That gives me hope. That so many young people are attending theThe Boss’s resistance concerts also give me hope. Springsteen is doing what celebrities should do—using his star power to fight for what’s right. He talks to people, not at them or down to them, and he doesn’t lecture. He speaks about shared concerns, brings people together, and inspires action. It might be easier for him than for other stars because he has a huge, decades-old fan base and is widely seen as a man of the people. Let’s hope his hugely successful “Land of Hope and Dreams” tour encourages other celebrities to speak out and resist more.
I wish Springsteen would give dozens of free outdoor concerts across the US over the next year or two or three, but that might be too complicated and expensive to pull off. I have no doubt those concerts would draw hundreds of thousands of people each, and that could help turn the tide further against Trump, the most corrupt authoritarian president in US history.
Springsteen is an undeniable leader of the resistance. The country could use more people like him. Long live the Boss.
Steven Greenhouse is a journalist and author who focuses on labor, the workplace, and economic and legal issues.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs about Bruce Springsteens stance on standing up to Donald Trump written in a natural conversational tone with clear answers
BeginnerLevel Questions
1 Did Bruce Springsteen actually say celebrities should stand up to Trump
Yes Springsteen has been very vocal about his political views He has stated that artists and public figures have a responsibility to speak out against what they see as threats to democracy specifically criticizing Donald Trumps policies and rhetoric
2 Why does Bruce Springsteen think its important for celebrities to get political
Springsteen believes that if you have a platform you have a duty to use it Hes said that silence in the face of injustice is a form of complicity and that artists should defend the values they sing aboutlike equality community and the American Dream
3 Did Springsteen ever perform at a Trump event or inauguration
No In fact Springsteen explicitly declined to perform at Trumps inauguration in 2017 He has also mocked Trump in concert and on social media calling him a moron and a threat to the country
4 What did Springsteen say about Trump in his recent interviews or documentary
In his 2021 film Road Diary and various interviews Springsteen described Trump as a dangerous narcissist and said that his presidency was the most dangerous period in American history since the Civil War He urged people to vote and speak out
5 Is Springsteen telling all celebrities to do the same thing
Hes not telling every celebrity what to do but he has suggested that those with influence should not remain silent He respects that some artists prefer to stay apolitical but he personally believes the stakes are too high to stay quiet
Intermediate Questions
6 How does Springsteens advice apply to other musicians or actors
Springsteens main point is that artists should use their platform to defend democratic norms not just sell products For example he praised Taylor Swift for endorsing Kamala Harris and criticized Kanye West for supporting Trump He argues that celebrity influence can sway undecided voters
7 What specific actions does Springsteen recommend celebrities take
He recommends
Publicly endorsing candidates who support democratic values
Using concert stages to speak about issues
