Bruce Springsteen appeared to ignore former New Jersey governor Chris Christie's attempts to exchange a high-five during his concert at the Barclays Center in New York City on Thursday evening, with the moment captured in a video that has since gone viral.
Christie, who has attended more than 150 Springsteen shows and kept every ticket stub, was standing front row on the right side of the stage. During a performance of '10th Avenue Freeze-Out', Springsteen walked through the crowd tapping hands with several fans before turning sharply towards the stage as he approached Christie, leaving the former governor's outstretched hand unanswered. The video, taken by journalist Mike Ryan, shows Christie continuing to clap for the musician despite the snub.
It remains unclear whether the snub was deliberate, as Springsteen's head appeared to be down while he made his way back to the stage, and he also missed high-fives from other fans in the general admission area. However, the two have a history of political friction. Springsteen, a lifelong Democrat, has voiced strong opposition to Christie's Republican policies, including a 2011 letter criticising the governor's budget and a 2014 parody mocking the Bridgegate scandal.
More recently, Springsteen has been a vocal critic of President Donald Trump, delivering anti-authoritarian monologues at shows and describing the administration as 'corrupt, incompetent, racist, reckless'. Christie, who endorsed Trump in 2016 and was considered for a top role in his administration, began opposing the former president after the 2020 election. Despite their political differences, Christie has never wavered in his admiration for Springsteen's music, once telling The Atlantic in 2012: 'Just because we disagree doesn't mean I don't get him.'
The pair have seemingly made peace in recent years. In March, Christie said his relationship with Springsteen was 'really good', recounting how the musician had called him after spotting him in the pit at a Barclays Center concert and suggested setting politics aside to be friends. Christie said they now text and talk regularly. Even at Thursday's concert, during which Springsteen played several politically charged songs, Christie remained present, albeit briefly checking his phone, according to Ryan's Substack post. The Independent has contacted Christie and representatives for Springsteen for comment.
