Bruce Springsteen accepted the Social Justice Award at the Tribeca Festival, where he spoke candidly about anti-ICE protesters and the Trump administration.
Watch Bruce Springsteen denounce President Trump’s ICE for ‘preaching’ in Washington, D.C.
Bruce Springsteen called out President Donald Trump during a performance in Washington, D.C., just a few miles from the White House.
NEW YORK – If you’re hoping for a ticket to Bruce Springsteen’s presidency in 2028, don’t hold your breath.
On June 13, during a panel discussion at the Tribeca Festival, where Springsteen was honored with the Harry Belafonte Voice for Social Justice Award, the famously outspoken rock icon dismissed the idea that he might one day run for political office.
The suggestion came during a conversation with Bono, who admitted he sometimes worries that people on the left are losing touch with the working class. The U2 frontman asked Springsteen if he thought his politics would alienate his fan base.
“I don’t know,” Springsteen said. “There’s a classic saying: ‘Well, which side are you on?’ You have to state your position, follow your beliefs, and have faith that it will be understood by your fellow citizens. You have to believe that there are debates in America, and that it is possible to find some common ground. Leaders, I don’t know if we have the ability at this moment to go out and speak to all of our people…”
“You!” someone shouted from the audience, and the theater erupted into thunderous applause.
“No,” Springsteen said with a smile and a shrug. “At best, I’m a concerned citizen. I sing and hope for the best.”
Bruce Springsteen dedicates social justice award to anti-ICE protesters
During a roughly 30-minute conversation, Springsteen and Bono talked about using their platforms for change.
Now, Springsteen said, “I’m pissed and angry, but for the past 50 years, we’ve put together a band that was created for difficult times like this.” “I put together a huge body of work that I created through difficult times, and I always sang for those moments.”
The 20-time Grammy winner also said he believes America can overcome this divisive era.
People must recognize “the common humanity and dignity of each other,” Springsteen said. “There is clearly a lack of that supply from the very top of government down at the moment.”
Late last month, Springsteen wrapped up his “Land of Hope and Dreams” tour in the United States. Earlier this year, he released a protest song, “Streets of Minneapolis,” in response to the increasingly violent federal crackdown on immigrants in the United States. On stage at Tribeca, Springsteen dedicated his Voices for Social Justice award to protesters across the country. (The Trump administration defended its actions in Minneapolis.)
“Thank you,” Springsteen said. “I really want to embrace this for all the citizens of Minneapolis, Los Angeles, and Portland who were against the federal government’s invasion of their cities. I’m going to take this and keep it in their name.”
Robert De Niro slams ‘Trump and his reckless enablers’ at Tribeca Festival
At the end of the ceremony, Patti Smith came out to perform “Peaceable Kingdom” and “People Have the Power,” the latter backed by Springsteen, Bono, and Smith’s bandmate Tony Shanahan. Springsteen then took to the stage and performed a solo acoustic rendition of “Land of Hope and Dreams,” a song he dedicated to his wife, Patti Scialfa.
Springsteen ended the event with a simple, “God bless America and go Knicks,” and overall kept his attacks on President Donald Trump to a minimum. Robert De Niro, who was there to introduce Springsteen, was predictably harsh in his criticism of the commander-in-chief.
“Nobody insults Trump like Bob,” Springsteen joked, drawing cheers and laughter from the crowd.
De Niro and Trump have had a long-standing feud. USA TODAY has reached out to the White House for comment. The president previously posted on Truth Social that the Oscar-winning actor “has such a low IQ that he has no idea what he’s doing or saying.”
In his introduction at Tribeca, De Niro praised Springsteen’s ability to “move people with the music he creates” and to “give voice to the powerless.”
“He’s using it to lead the resistance,” De Niro said. “He knows what the problem is and he names it Donald J. Trump and his reckless initiatives. This is very important because this is not about a rational debate over policy. This is about one man’s corruption and megalomania. Bruce Springsteen puts a face to it and does it in the words of a poet.”
“Our democracy, our Constitution, and the rule of law are now under unprecedented challenge by a reckless, racist, incompetent and treasonous president,” De Niro said. “Tonight, therefore, we ask all of you to help us choose hope over fear, democracy over authoritarianism, the rule of law over lawlessness, ethics over unchecked corruption, resistance over complacency, truth over lies, unity over division, and peace over war.”
