Bono has joined a growing chorus of high-profile musicians rallying behind Bruce Springsteen in his escalating feud with Donald Trump.
Springsteen kicked off his European tour on May 14th in Manchester at the Co-op Live arena with a fiery message condemning the Trump administration. Predictably, Trump lashed out on Truth Social, launching a personal attack on the rock legend: “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!”
Days later, Trump took things further by announcing a “major investigation” into Springsteen over his support for the Democratic Party during the 2024 election cycle. Springsteen had performed at key campaign rallies in swing states last October. Trump also shared a digitally altered meme depicting himself hitting Springsteen with a golf ball—part of a string of juvenile online barbs.
In response, a number of musicians have stood in solidarity with Springsteen, including Robert Plant, Neil Young, and Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello. Bono added his voice to the mix during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live. When asked whose side he was on in the public spat, the U2 frontman simply stated: “There’s only one Boss in America.”
Trump has since turned his ire toward Bono as well, threatening to investigate the Irish singer for supposedly illegal campaign contributions—an odd move considering Bono is not a U.S. citizen and did not take part in the 2024 election.
Bono also used his platform at the Ivor Novello Awards to comment on the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. He made an impassioned plea: “Hamas release the hostages. Stop the war. Israel be released from Benjamin Netanyahu and far-right fundamentalists that twist your sacred texts. All of you protect our aid workers, they are the best of us.”
As for Springsteen, he has continued delivering his pointed monologue at every stop on the European leg of his tour, calling for resistance and denouncing Trump’s presidency. If anything, the backlash has only emboldened him.
