President Donald Trump has demanded an investigation into Bruce Springsteen and other artists who supported former Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign, after the singer has repeatedly told crowds at his concerts that the president is an “unfit” man running “a rogue government.”
The president — who is scheduled to hold a high-stakes phone call with Russia’s Vladimir Putin on Monday morning — wrote on Truth Social early the same morning that he was “going to call for a major investigation” into what compensation Springsteen received from the 2024 Harris campaign.
“HOW MUCH DID KAMALA HARRIS PAY BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN FOR HIS POOR PERFORMANCE DURING HER CAMPAIGN FOR PRESIDENT? WHY DID HE ACCEPT THAT MONEY IF HE IS SUCH A FAN OF HERS? ISN’T THAT A MAJOR AND ILLEGAL CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION?” Trump wrote.
The president, who had previously used Springsteen’s music at his rallies despite objections from the artist, went on to accuse the Harris campaign of paying for endorsements from artists like Springsteen, Beyoncé, and Bono, under the guise of providing entertainment at her rallies. “IT’S NOT LEGAL! For these unpatriotic ‘entertainers,’ this was just a CORRUPT & UNLAWFUL way to capitalize on a broken system. Thank you for your attention to this matter!!!”
Artists like Beyoncé, Eminem, Oprah, and others have denied right-wing claims that they were offered millions to endorse Harris.
Trump has been locked in a public back and forth with Springsteen over the artist’s criticism of his regime. After the “Born in the USA” rocker told concert goers in Europe that the United States is currently in the hands of a “corrupt, incompetent, and treasonous administration,” Trump responded last week with a bizarre warning for Springsteen: “This dried out ‘prune’ of a rocker (his skin is 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!”
Springsteen, unfettered, responded to the thinly veiled threats by telling fans in Manchester, England, over the weekend: “In America, my home, they’re persecuting people for their right to free speech and voicing their dissent. That’s happening now.”
It’s apparently happening to Springsteen, who now might be placed under investigation for the transgression of supporting the political candidate of his choice and exercising his constitutionally protected right to criticize his government.
