Bruce Springsteen delivered a blistering rebuke of the Trump administration during the opening night of his UK and European tour at Co-Op Live in Manchester on Wednesday. The legendary rocker used multiple moments throughout the concert to denounce what he called the “corrupt, incompetent, and treasonous” state of U.S. leadership, turning his “Land of Hope and Dreams Tour” into a clarion call for democracy, unity, and resistance.
The show opened with an impassioned welcome from Springsteen, who greeted the crowd before launching into the titular track.
“It’s great to be in Manchester and back in the UK. Welcome to the Land of Hope and Dreams Tour! The mighty E Street Band is here tonight to call upon the righteous power of art, of music, of rock ‘n’ roll in dangerous times,” he said.
But his message quickly turned political.
“In my home, the America I love, the America I’ve written about, that has been a beacon of hope and liberty for 250 years is currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent, and treasonous administration. Tonight, we ask all who believe in democracy and the best of our American experiment to rise with us, raise your voices against authoritarianism and let freedom ring!”
“All We’ve Got Is Each Other”
Later in the show, Springsteen returned to the microphone between songs for a second address, this time focusing on the power of the people.
“The last check, the last check on power after the checks and balances of government have failed are the people — you and me,” he declared. “It’s in the union of people around a common set of values that all that stands between a democracy and authoritarianism. At the end of the day, all we’ve got is each other.”
The audience — thousands strong — erupted in cheers of solidarity, standing in ovation at his call for civic engagement.
A Dark Portrait Before City of Ruins
Before performing the somber City of Ruins, Springsteen offered a third and most scathing critique, painting a harrowing picture of what he described as a nation in crisis.
“There’s some very weird, strange, and dangerous shit going on out there right now,” he began. “In America they are persecuting people for using their right to free speech and voicing their dissent. This is happening now.”
“The richest men are abandoning the world’s poorest children to sickness and death. They’re rolling back civil rights, betraying allies, and supporting dictators. They are removing residents from American streets without due process, deporting them to foreign detention centers. This is all happening now.”
Springsteen accused U.S. lawmakers of failing in their duty to protect citizens from “an unfit president and a rogue government,” warning that the stakes for the country’s future had never been higher.
A Long History of Political Outspokenness
Known as “The Boss,” Springsteen has never shied away from political activism. A vocal critic of former President Donald Trump since 2016, he publicly supported Democratic candidates including Kamala Harris in the last U.S. presidential election and has long advocated for social justice, workers’ rights, and American ideals rooted in inclusivity and democracy.
In one of his most poignant statements of the night, he paid tribute to the resilience of the American spirit:
“They have no concern or idea for what it means to be deeply American. The America I’ve sung to you about for 50 years is real and, regardless of its faults, is a great country with a great people. So we’ll survive this moment.”
He ended with a quote from literary icon James Baldwin, who once said, “In this world there isn’t as much humanity as one would like, but there’s enough.”
“Let’s pray,” Springsteen concluded, before striking the first chord of City of Ruins, a song that once again echoed his enduring message: hope, unity, and the power of standing up in the face of darkness.
The “Land of Hope and Dreams Tour” continues across Europe in the coming weeks, with Springsteen’s message ringing louder than ever.
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