Fact Check: Did Bruce Springsteen really say people are the ‘last check on power’ when government fails?
WASHINGTON, DC: A quote allegedly by Bruce Springsteen in which he went scorched earth on President Donald Trump's administration has been making the rounds on social media
There’s no love lost between Springsteen and Trump — that much is clear. But lately, things hit a whole new level after a not-so-subtle jab from The Boss began circulating on Facebook, Instagram, and X.
The quote read, “The last check on power after the checks and balances of government have failed are the people, you and me. It's in the union of people around a common set of values now that's all that stands between a democracy and authoritarianism. So at the end of the day, all we've got is each other.”
Fans were quick to reshare it, and Trump fired back with insults on Truth Social. But there were questions about whether the quote was real.
Fact-check: True, Bruce Springsteen did make the comment
Fact-checking site Snopes confirmed that Springsteen dropped those lines during a concert in Manchester, United Kingdom, on May 14.
A clip on his official YouTube channel shows him making the remark right before launching into 'House of a Thousand Guitars'. The statement came at exactly the 1:37 mark.
You can also find the transcript on his website.
Springsteen didn’t hold back when introducing a trio of songs — 'Land of Hope and Dreams', 'House of a Thousand Guitars', and 'My City of Ruins'. Without naming Trump directly, the rocker let his feelings be known about the political climate in the US.
Here’s what he said before rocking to 'Land of Hope and Dreams'.
“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," Springsteen alleged.
"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!” he added.
Before 'House of a Thousand Guitars', he gave the aforementioned line about the people being the last line of defense.
“The last check, the last check on power after the checks and balances of government have failed are the people, you and me. It's in the union of people around a common set of values now that's all that stands between a democracy and authoritarianism. At the end of the day, all we've really got is each other," he declared.
And he didn't mince words before introducing 'My City of Ruins'.
“There's some very weird, strange and dangerous s**t going on out there right now. In America, they are persecuting people for using their right to free speech and voicing their dissent. This is happening now. In America, the richest men are taking satisfaction in abandoning the world's poorest children to sickness and death. This is happening now," Springsteen said.
You can watch the performances here:
Donald Trump fires back at Bruce Springsteen on Truth Social
Donald Trump caught wind of Bruce Springsteen’s comments and let him have a piece of his mind on Truth Social on May 16.
“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,” Trump wrote.
“If I wasn’t elected, it would have been GONE by now! Sleepy Joe didn’t have a clue as to what he was doing, but Springsteen is 'dumb as a rock,' and couldn’t see what was going on, or could he (which is even worse!)? 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!" the President added.
Trump threw more gasoline on the fire on May 19. This time, he dragged former vice president Kamala Harris into the mix, accusing Springsteen of taking money for his performance during her 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 blasted.
This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.
