Bruce Springsteen has said that he wants to find some “common ground” with fans who have walked away from him due to his political stance.
The music icon has been largely outspoken against Donald Trump over the years, and frequently used his time both on and off the stage to call out the President and his administration.
Heated disputes between the two of them include The Boss calling for Trump to be impeached and “consigned to the trash heap of history”, as well as describing the President as “corrupt, incompetent, and treasonous”.
He also penned the politically-charged song ‘Streets Of Minneapolis’ following ICE agents killing two civilians in Minnesota, called Trump a “President who can’t handle the truth” on stage, endorsed the No Kings movement against him, and slammed the POTUS’ so-called “anti-weaponisation fund”.
Trump has hit back too, branding The Boss a “pushy, obnoxious JERK”, as well as a “dried out ‘prune’ of a rocker”, and the White House slammed Springsteen’s tour before it had even started – writing that the singer has a “severe case of Trump Derangement Syndrome that has rotted his brain”.
Now, at the Tribeca Film Festival, Springsteen has acknowledged how some of his fans have been alienated by his outspoken comments against Trump, and said that he hopes to find some “common ground” with them going forward.
After being presented with the 2026 Harry Belafonte Voices for Social Justice Award by Bono, the U2 singer asked if The Boss ever feels “torn” over the fact that some previous fans will no longer see him play live due to the political stance.
Responding, Springsteen said: “You have to do two things. You make your stand, and you follow your beliefs.”
“You have to have the faith in them [beliefs] that they will be explicable and understandable by your fellow citizens, and you have to believe that America is an argument, and it’s a compromise constantly, and then finding some sort of common ground is a possibility,” he continued.
“I don’t even really consider myself an activist. I feel like I’m, at best, a concerned citizen,” Springsteen shared. “I sing my songs, I say a few things and wish for the best, you know, help folks out a little bit here and a little bit there.”
“There’re so many people that do so much more than I do,” he added, saying that Bono was much “more of an activist” than he is.
Also on the night, Springsteen apologised to Bono for refusing to license ‘Girls in Their Summer Clothes’ for an advert for the clothing brand GAP in partnership with Bono’s AIDS foundation (RED).
Before then, he was joined by Bon Jovi, Public Enemy and others at a star-studded New Jersey event , and also featured in the trailer for a new Leonard Cohen documentary, alongside Elvis Costello and The Lumineers.