Bruce Springsteen kicked off his 2026 “Land of Hope and Dreams American Tour” with the E Street Band in Minneapolis on Tuesday, delivering a series of pointed political speeches that targeted President Donald Trump, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and the wealthiest Americans. The three-hour, 27-song concert featured four interludes where Springsteen addressed what he described as dark times for the United States.
After opening with a prayer for service members overseas and dedicating the show to “celebration and defense of American ideals,” Springsteen performed a cover of Edwin Starr’s 1970 anti-war anthem “War.” He later launched into an extended monologue, accusing the Trump administration of conducting an “unconstitutional and illegal war,” detaining immigrants without due process, and allowing the Justice Department to lose its independence under Bondi.
Springsteen also criticised the dismantling of USAID, the abandonment of NATO allies, and the whitewashing of American history, including the brutality of slavery. “We have a president who can’t handle the truth,” he said, adding that Trump and his family are enriching themselves through corruption “unmatched in American history.” He described the administration’s legacy as turning the US into a “reckless, unpredictable, predatory rogue nation.”
The musician called on Americans to fight for the country they love, repeating the phrase “join us and let’s fight for the America that we love” as the band launched into “My City in Ruins.” The tour, which Springsteen has said will be political, continues through late May, concluding in Washington, D.C.
