Springsteen condemns 'corrupt' Trump administration at tour opener in Minneapolis

Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAYWed, April 1, 2026 at 1:28 AM UTC

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Springsteen condemns 'corrupt' Trump administration at tour opener in Minneapolis

MINNEAPOLIS – With a mighty roar and a raised fist, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band made a defining opening statement: “War, what is it good for? Absolutely nothing.”

That Springsteen and the band chose to open their Land of Hope & Dreams American Tour on March 31 with the 1970 Edwin Starr anthem was hardly surprising, especially with the first of 20 shows taking place in Minneapolis, a political hotbed in recent months.

Clad in black and adopting his singular ability to galvanize a crowd, Springsteen, 76, started the show asking for prayers for the “men and women overseas … we pray for their safe return.”

His voice rising, Springsteen then asked the sold-out crowd at the Target Center to join him in celebrating the “righteous power of art and music” and to “choose hope over fear.”

“We live in dangerous times,” he said, before condemning the “corrupt, incompetent, racist … treasonous” administration of President Donald Trump.

Springsteen regularly performed the song "War" during 2003’s “The Rising” tour in protest of the Iraq War.

1 / 0See rock legend Bruce Springsteen and his career in photos

He's The Boss. Rock and roll legend Bruce Springsteen is known as much for his music as he is for his outspoken politics and global stardom.Look back at his iconic moments on stage and throughout his career in photos, starting here, as Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band perform a concert at Brendan Byrne Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on July 2, 1981.

Pairing the song with his oft-misunderstood 1984 fist-pumper “Born in the USA” produced a stringent double punch, with the audience contributing their own robust chorus.

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The theme of the show – and the tour – continued with potent songs including “Death to My Hometown” and “No Surrender," which Springsteen performed with his eyes squeezed shut as he played his guitar.

Springsteen has spent much time in Minneapolis lately. On March 28, he performed “Streets of Minneapolis” – which he penned in January as a reaction to the fatal shootings Minneapolis residents Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal officers – at the city’s No Kings rally. The gathering was one of more than 3,000 nationwide to protest the policies and leadership of Trump.

The rocker debuted the song with musician Tom Morello – part of the E Street Band during this tour - in late January at the city’s famed First Avenue club at a benefit concert for Good and Pretti.

At the March 31 show, Springsteen recalled Good and Pretti before playing the song for the first time with the E Street Band.

"They picked the wrong town," Springsteen said of ICE. "The power and solidarity of Minneapolis, of Minnesota, is an inspiration to the entire country."

Springsteen’s tour is strategically routed with the first few dates landing in cities heavily targeted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Following Minneapolis, the band will perform in Portland, Oregon, on April 3 and Los Angeles on April 7 and 9. The tour ends May 27 at Nationals Park in Washington, DC, the only stadium date.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Springsteen condemns 'corrupt' Trump administration as tour opens

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