Editing Bruce Springsteen (section)

==Political views and activism==
[[File:P20230321CS-0553.jpg|thumb|Springsteen with U.S. President [[Joe Biden]] in the [[East Room]] at the White House in March 2023]]
Springsteen supported [[Barack Obama]]'s [[Barack Obama presidential campaign, 2008|2008 presidential campaign]], announcing his endorsement in April 2008.<ref name="USA Today-2008" /> He appeared at several rallies in support of Obama's campaign throughout that year.<ref name="Pitchfork-2008" /> At one such rally in Ohio, Springsteen discussed the importance of "truth, transparency and integrity in government, the right of every American to have a job, a living wage, to be educated in a decent school, and a life filled with the [[dignity of work]], the promise and the sanctity of home".<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 3, 2008 |title=Bruce Springsteen News&nbsp;– Recording Artists' Eleventh Hour Campaigns&nbsp;– Mostly for Obama |url=http://www.idiomag.com/peek/47658/bruce_springsteen |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081224224623/http://www.idiomag.com/peek/47658/bruce_springsteen |archive-date=December 24, 2008 |access-date=November 3, 2008 |publisher=[[idiomag]]}}</ref> Despite saying that he would sit out the [[2012 United States presidential election|2012 presidential election]], Springsteen campaigned for Obama's re-election in Ohio, Iowa, Virginia, Pittsburgh, and Wisconsin.<ref name="Knickerbocker" /><ref name="Orel-2012" /><ref name="Sweet-2012" /> The [[Topps]] company marked Springsteen's support of the 2008 campaign its Barack Obama commemorative trading card series, in which Springsteen makes an appearance on card #59, "the 'O' Street Band."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Backstreets.com: Springsteen News Archive Jan 2009 |url=http://www.backstreets.com/newsarchive28.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210414035507/http://www.backstreets.com/newsarchive28.html |archive-date=April 14, 2021 |access-date=March 26, 2021 |website=backstreets.com}}</ref>

Springsteen supports [[LGBT rights]] and has spoken out in support of [[gay marriage]]. In an April 1996 interview with ''[[The Advocate (LGBT magazine)|The Advocate]]'', an LGBT magazine, he said, "You get your license, you do all the social rituals. It's part of your place in society, and in some way part of society's acceptance of you."<ref name="Wieder1995">{{Cite web |last=Wieder |first=Judy |year=1995 |title=Bruce Springsteen: The Advocate Interview |url=http://www.brucespringsteen.hu/docs/1995advocate.doc |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120313013142/http://www.brucespringsteen.hu/docs/1995advocate.doc |archive-date=March 13, 2012 |access-date=June 9, 2012 |website=[[The Advocate (LGBT magazine)|The Advocate]] |format=doc |via=brucespringsteen.hu}}</ref> In 2009, he posted the following statement on his website: "I've long believed in and have always spoken out for the rights of same sex couples and fully agree with [[Governor Corzine]] when he writes that 'The marriage-equality issue should be recognized for what it truly is—a civil rights issue that must be approved to assure that every citizen is treated equally under the law.{{'"}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=Rocker Bruce Springsteen endorses N.J. gay marriage bill |url=http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/200/springsteen_endorses_gay_marri.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131022215325/http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/200/springsteen_endorses_gay_marri.html |archive-date=October 22, 2013 |access-date=December 8, 2009 |website=[[The Star-Ledger]]}}</ref> In 2012, he lent his support to an ad campaign for gay marriage called "The Four 2012". Springsteen noted in the ad, "I couldn't agree more with that statement and urge those who support equal treatment for our [[gay]] and [[lesbian]] brothers and sisters to let their voices be heard now."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Wong |first=Curtis |date=October 2, 2012 |title=Bruce Springsteen Stars in Gay Marriage Social Media Campaign |work=[[HuffPost]] |url=https://huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/02/bruce-springsteen-gay-marriage-the-four-campaign-_n_1932197.html |url-status=live |access-date=October 2, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121003222803/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/02/bruce-springsteen-gay-marriage-the-four-campaign-_n_1932197.html |archive-date=October 3, 2012}}</ref> In April 2016, Springsteen cancelled a show in [[Greensboro, North Carolina]], days before it was to take place to protest the state's newly passed [[Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act]], also referred to as the "[[bathroom law]]", which dictates which restrooms [[transgender]] people are permitted to use and prevents [[LGBT]] citizens from suing over human rights violations in the workplace. Springsteen released an official statement on his website. The [[Human Rights Campaign]] celebrated Springsteen's statement, and he has received praise and gratitude from the [[LGBT community]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=McCormick |first=Joseph Patrick |date=April 8, 2016 |title=Bruce Springsteen dumps North Carolina over bigoted anti-LGBT law |work=[[PinkNews]] |url=http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2016/04/08/bruce-springsteen-dumps-north-carolina-over-bigoted-anti-lgbt-law/ |url-status=live |access-date=April 9, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160409030229/http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2016/04/08/bruce-springsteen-dumps-north-carolina-over-bigoted-anti-lgbt-law/ |archive-date=April 9, 2016}}</ref>

During a 2017 show in [[Perth]], Australia, Springsteen made a statement celebrating the post-inauguration [[2017 Women's March|Women's March]] against the incoming [[First presidency of Donald Trump|Trump administration]] in cities worldwide: "We're a long way from home, and our hearts and spirits are with the hundreds of thousands of women and men that marched yesterday in every city in America, and in Melbourne&nbsp;... [They] rallied against hate and division and in support of tolerance, inclusion, [[reproductive rights]], [[civil rights]], [[racial justice]], LGBTQ rights, the environment, wage equality, [[gender equality]], healthcare, and immigrant rights. We stand with you. We are the new American resistance."<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Kreps |first=Daniel |date=January 22, 2017 |title=Bruce Springsteen on Women's March: 'The New American Resistance' |language=en-US |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/bruce-springsteen-on-womens-march-the-new-american-resistance-113698/ |url-status=live |access-date=September 20, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170123074732/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/springsteen-on-womens-march-the-new-american-resistance-w462367 |archive-date=January 23, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |last=Bruce Springsteen |title=Bruce Springsteen in Perth – January 22, 2017 |date=January 22, 2017 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSV7wsiLhpk |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180413142553/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSV7wsiLhpk |access-date=September 20, 2018 |archive-date=April 13, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |last=euronews (in English) |title=Bruce Springsteen joins 'new resistance' against 'demagogue' Trump |date=January 23, 2017 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yfZMx4hpdw |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190202055154/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yfZMx4hpdw |access-date=September 20, 2018 |archive-date=February 2, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Springsteen was a staunch critic of [[Donald Trump]] throughout his [[First presidency of Donald Trump|first term as president of the United States]]. In October 2019, Springsteen said Trump "doesn't have a grasp of the deep meaning of what it means to be an American",<ref>{{Cite news |last=Henderson |first=Cydney |title=Bruce Springsteen: President Trump doesn't understand 'what it means to be American' |language=en-US |work=[[USA Today]] |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2019/10/24/bruce-springsteen-trump-doesnt-know-what-means-american/4088475002/ |url-status=live |access-date=August 18, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200827142040/https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2019/10/24/bruce-springsteen-trump-doesnt-know-what-means-american/4088475002/ |archive-date=August 27, 2020}}</ref> and in June 2020 called him a "threat to our democracy".<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=June 24, 2020 |title=Bruce Springsteen Calls President Trump a 'Threat to Our Democracy' |url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/9407927/bruce-springsteen-calls-out-trump-interview |url-status=live |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200818212000/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/9407927/bruce-springsteen-calls-out-trump-interview |archive-date=August 18, 2020 |access-date=August 18, 2020}}</ref> Springsteen's song "The Rising" was featured prominently in the [[2020 Democratic National Convention]] in support of [[Joe Biden]], accompanied with a new video and campaign slogan, #TheRising.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 18, 2020 |title=Bruce Springsteen debuts new 'The Rising' video during Democratic National Convention |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/bruce-springsteen-debuts-new-the-rising-video-to-back-joe-biden-2731052 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200818232103/https://www.nme.com/news/music/bruce-springsteen-debuts-new-the-rising-video-to-back-joe-biden-2731052 |archive-date=August 18, 2020 |access-date=August 18, 2020 |website=[[NME]] |language=en-GB}}</ref> On October 13, 2020, author [[Don Winslow]] released a video critical of Trump prior to his campaign event in Pennsylvania. The video features Springsteen's song "Streets of Philadelphia".<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 13, 2020 |title=Bruce Springsteen & Don Winslow Team On Video Just In Time For President Trump's Pennsylvania Rally: WATCH |url=https://deadline.com/2020/10/bruce-springsteen-don-winslow-video-president-trump-pennsylvania-rally-1234596540/#! |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201013175440/https://deadline.com/2020/10/bruce-springsteen-don-winslow-video-president-trump-pennsylvania-rally-1234596540/#! |archive-date=October 13, 2020 |access-date=October 14, 2020 |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |language=en-GB}}</ref> A few days prior to the [[2020 United States presidential election]], Springsteen provided narration for a campaign ad that spotlights Biden's upbringing in [[Scranton, Pennsylvania]] with "My Hometown" playing throughout the ad.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Kreps |first=Daniel |date=October 31, 2020 |title=Bruce Springsteen Narrates Joe Biden's 'Hometown' Scranton Ad |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/bruce-springsteen-joe-biden-hometown-scranton-ad-1084458/ |url-status=live |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201106212657/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/bruce-springsteen-joe-biden-hometown-scranton-ad-1084458/ |archive-date=November 6, 2020 |access-date=November 5, 2020}}</ref> Biden used "We Take Care of Our Own" as one of his theme songs, as Obama had before him in 2012.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Scinto |first=Maria |date=November 7, 2020 |title=Joe Biden's Victory Speech Walkout Song Explained |url=https://www.thelist.com/274941/joe-bidens-victory-speech-walkout-song-explained/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121175620/https://www.thelist.com/274941/joe-bidens-victory-speech-walkout-song-explained/ |archive-date=January 21, 2021 |access-date=April 29, 2021 |website=TheList.com |language=en-US}}</ref> On October 3, 2024, Springsteen endorsed Vice President [[Kamala Harris]] in the [[2024 United States presidential election]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Instagram |url=https://www.instagram.com/p/DArLPGnIJD3/ |access-date=2024-10-03 |website=www.instagram.com}}</ref> and gave a speech at one of her campaign rallies on October 24.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Pager |first=Tyler |date=24 October 2024 |title=Obama, Springsteen join Harris to energize campaign's final sprint |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/10/24/harris-obama-perry-springsteen/ |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref> 

During a show in [[Manchester]] on May 14, 2025, Springsteen spoke out against Trump and called [[Second presidency of Donald Trump|his administration]] "corrupt, incompetent, and treasonous". Two days later, Trump responded on [[Truth Social]] by calling Springsteen "highly overrated" and "dumb as a rock".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Suarez Sang |first=Lucia |date=May 16, 2025 |title=After Bruce Springsteen calls Trump "treasonous," the president responds by criticizing the rock star's skin |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bruce-springsteen-land-of-hopes-and-dreams-tour-trump-truth-social-post/ |newspaper=[[CBS News]]}}</ref> The president of the [[American Federation of Musicians]] defended Springsteen, saying, "Musicians have the right to freedom of expression, and we stand in solidarity with all our members."<ref>{{Cite news |date=May 16, 2025 |title=AFM Statement from International President Tino Gagliardi on Trump Attacking Members Bruce Springsteen and Taylor Swift |url=https://www.afm.org/2025/05/afm-statement-on-trump-attacking-members-bruce-springsteen-and-taylor-swift/|newspaper=[[American Federation of Musicians]]}}</ref> On May 19, Trump called for a major investigation into Springsteen, [[Beyoncé]], [[Oprah]], and other celebrities for their endorsement of Harris. He claims that Harris illegally paid them to support her 2024 campaign for president.<ref>{{Cite news |date=May 19, 2025 |title=Trump Preps for Putin Call With Another Meltdown Over Bruce Springsteen |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/trump-melts-down-bruce-springsteen-investigation-1235342386/|newspaper=[[Rolling Stone (magazine)|Rolling Stone]]}}</ref>