Neil Young has voiced his support for Bruce Springsteen after US President Donald Trump labelled the legendary New Jersey-born singer/songwriter "a pushy, obnoxious JERK" and "Highly Overrated'.
Trump's attack on one of America's most beloved musicians came after Springsteen, currently touring the UK and Europe, told the audience at Manchester's Co-op Live Arena on May 14 that the US "is currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent, and treasonous administration."
Springsteen added, "Tonight, we ask all who believe in democracy and the best of our American experience to rise with us, raise your voices against the authoritarianism, and let freedom ring.”
In response, two days later, Trump posted on his Truth Social account: “I see that Highly Overrated Bruce Springsteen goes to a Foreign Country to speak badly about the President of the United States. 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.”
Now Neil Young has spoken up in defence of Springsteen, and offered his own advice to Trump.
“What are you worryin' about man?" Young posted on his website. "Bruce and thousands of musicians think you are ruining America. You worry about that instead of the dyin’ kids in Gaza. That’s your problem. I am not scared of you. Neither are the rest of us. You shut down FEMA when we needed it most. That’s your problem Trump. STOP THINKING ABOUT WHAT ROCKERS ARE SAYING. Think about saving America from the mess you made.”
"You are more worried about yourself than AMERICA" Young continued. "Wake up Trump!! Remember what the White House is?
“You are forgetting your real job. You work for us. Wake up Republicans! This guy is out of control. We need a real president!”
Last month, also posting on his Neil Young Archives site, Young called Trump, "the worst president in the history of our country."
Young also expressed his concern that freedoms are already being curtailed under Trump's presidency, and that “non-existent” laws are being used to punish dissenting voices.
Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder has also voiced his support for Springsteen, and criticised Trump for his comments.
Speaking to the audience at the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on May 18, Vedder echoed Springsteen's sentiments, and critiqued the President's response, saying, "The response had nothing to do with the issues. They didn’t talk about one of those issues, they didn’t have a conversation about one of those issues. They didn’t debate about any one of those issues. All that we heard were personal attacks and threats that nobody else should even try to use their microphones or use their voice in public or they will be shut down.
"Now that’s not allowed in this country that we call America. Am I right or am I wrong? Part of free speech is open discussion. Part of democracy is healthy public discourse. The name-calling is so beneath us. Bruce has always been as pro-American with his values and liberty, and his justice has always remained intact. And I’m saying this now to be sure that this freedom to speak will still exist in a year or two when we come back to this microphone."
Pearl Jam then played Neil Young's Rockin' In The Free World.
