Bruce Springsteen had some choice words for President Trump and some of his followers during his latest DJ stint on SiriusXM's E Street Radio. Springsteen who's been connecting with fans every other week via the outlet, spoke about those who are fighting against social distancing and their state's stay-at-home orders. APP.com transcribed some of Springsteen's comments, in which he said, “Now, the protesters that we’ve seen in some of our state capitols, pushing to get the country to open up or cut back on some of the mitigation, concern me. I worry for them, first of all. For up to this point, that mitigation’s been our only defense against the deadly virus.”
He went on to explain, “I know folks need to get back to work, they need to get their bills paid, they need to feed their families. But the country should be opened in a cautious, safe and responsible manner, not carelessly, in a gesture that will cost tens of thousands of lives, prodded on by a president going against his own government mandate and advising citizens to 'liberate Michigan' and 'liberate Virginia.' And frankly, that is the wrong language right now, and it pissed me off.”
He spoke directly about Trump without using the President's name, adding, “It's just weak and irresponsible. It was the gesture of a man willing to roll the dice with the lives of those who put him into office, and their children, and their elderly friends and families at risk, for perhaps nothing more than an election-year ploy. It’s cowardly.”
Springsteen spun tracks from such friends and legends as Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Little Steven, Glen Campbell, Little Richard, Tom Waits, Dion, Warren Zevon, and himself.
“The Boss” spoke frankly about how cooling his heels on his New Jersey farm and waiting out the pandemic has affected him: “Empty and unused time, I don’t care for — especially at 70. I’m counting my days and, my friend, I’ve got things to do that involve me and you. My son is 25 and he’s worried about the time it’s taking out of his life!”
He added: “The toughest thing about the lockdown is not knowing what the future holds. The feeling of your whole life being placed on hold, time seeming to move quickly, but slowly.”
A while back, Bruce Springsteen explained that the election of Donald Trump was a reaction of many voters who felt overlooked or forgotten by the changes in politics and the economy: “If I couldn't play music and had to find some completely other line of work, I have no idea what in the world I would do. I'd drift. And I think there's a lot of folks who feel left behind by history, who neither party has addressed their concerns. So a demagogue like Trump comes along who appears to be listening, who has very simple answers to very, very difficult and complicated questions, and it can be a compelling figure for people.”
