Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello raged against Donald Trump on Sunday, hitting back at the president for criticizing music legend Bruce Springsteen.
Newsweek has reached out to the White House seeking comment.
Why It Matters
Trump is a prolific social media user and many of his posts are targeted at his critics. When they or their supporters have hit back, it has often resulted in a public slanging match between the president and certain celebrities, whether across social media or in real-life arenas.
Tensions between Springsteen and Trump started when the rocker denounced the administration in the opening remarks of his tour in Manchester on Wednesday night, resulting in the president lashing out in response.
What To Know
Morello unleashed a diatribe against Trump during his performance at the Boston Calling music festival over the weekend, defending Springsteen after the latter drew the president’s wrath recently. The artist suggested Trump’s issue with Springsteen stemmed from jealousy over the crowd size The Boss could attract, according to Rolling Stone.
Earlier this month, Springsteen branded Trump an “unfit president” who was in charge of “a rogue government” that was “corrupt, incompetent and treasonous” in front of a British crowd during his Land of Hope and Dreams Tour.
Trump swiftly fired back with a post on Truth Social on May 16. “I see that Highly Overrated Bruce Springsteen goes to a Foreign Country to speak badly about the President of the United States,” he began.
“Never liked him, never liked his music, or his Radical Left Politics and, importantly, he’s not a talented guy—Just a pushy, obnoxious JERK, who fervently supported Crooked Joe Biden, a mentally incompetent FOOL, and our WORST EVER President, who came close to destroying our Country…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.’ Then we’ll all see how it goes for him!”
It wasn’t long before other musicians leaped to Springsteen’s defense.
Neil Young said he agreed with “Bruce and thousands of musicians” that Trump was “ruining America,” while Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder said Springsteen was “a true American” and urged Trump to “wake up!”
Trump has called for a “major investigation” into celebrities who aided Kamala Harris’ 2024 election campaign, including Bruce Springsteen, saying their appearances were potentially illegal contributions.
The 75-year-old musician has previously endorsed Democratic candidates including former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden and ahead of the 2024 presidential election described Trump as the “most dangerous candidate for president” in his lifetime.
What People Are Saying
Rage Against the Machine star Tom Morello told the Boston Calling crowd, according to Rolling Stone : “Bruce is going after Trump because Bruce, his whole life, he’s been about truth, justice, democracy, equality. And Trump is mad at him because Bruce draws a bigger audience. F*** that guy.”
The star also showed the audience that the words “F*** ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement]” were emblazoned across the back of his guitar.
He then went on to say the Boston gig, complete with anti-Trump rhetoric, could be “the last big event before they throw us all in jail.”
Bruce Springsteen, speaking at a concert: “In my country, they’re taking sadistic pleasure in the pain they inflict on loyal American workers. They’re rolling back historic civil rights legislation that has led to a more just and plural society. They are abandoning our great allies and siding with dictators against those struggling for their freedom. They are defunding American universities that won’t bow down to their ideological demands.”
What Happens Next
Trump has not yet commented on Morello’s outburst.
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