In May 2025, a purported quote from musician Bruce Springsteen went viral in which he criticized U.S. President Donald Trump's administration. The quote spread on Facebook, Instagram and X as Trump made Springsteen a target of his criticism, posting about the rock star on his Truth Social account.
Springsteen reportedly said: "The last check on power after the checks and balances of government have failed are the people, you and me. It's in the union of people around a common set of values now that's all that stands between a democracy and authoritarianism. So at the end of the day, all we've got is each other."
(Facebook user "Robert Reich")
Springsteen made the above statement during a concert in Manchester, United Kingdom, on May 14. His official YouTube channel uploaded clips of the musician making the statement. As such, we rate this as a correct attribution.
Springsteen spoke about the political situation in the U.S. when introducing three of his songs, "Land of Hope and Dreams," "House of a Thousand Guitars" and "My City of Ruins." The quote came from his introduction to "House of a Thousand Guitars".
Springsteen made the statement at the 1:37 mark:
A transcript of his remarks from that evening can be found on Springsteen's official website. Below we highlight his introductions to various songs where he criticized the U.S. government without naming Trump specifically (emphasis ours):
Introduction to Land of Hope and Dreams
[...]
In my home, the America I love, the America I've written about, that has been a beacon of hope and liberty for 250 years, is currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent and treasonous administration.Tonight, we ask all who believe in democracy and the best of our American experiment to rise with us, raise your voices against authoritarianism and let freedom ring!
Introduction to House of a Thousand Guitars
The last check, the last check on power after the checks and balances of government have failed are the people, you and me. It's in the union of people around a common set of values now that's all that stands between a democracy and authoritarianism. At the end of the day, all we've really got is each other.
Introduction to My City of Ruins
There's some very weird, strange and dangerous s**t going on out there right now. In America, they are persecuting people for using their right to free speech and voicing their dissent. This is happening now.
In America, the richest men are taking satisfaction in abandoning the world's poorest children to sickness and death. This is happening now. [...]
As we reported previously, Trump wrote a post on Truth Social on May 16 calling Springsteen "a pushy, obnoxious JERK" and a "dried out prune of a rocker (his skin is all atrophied)," adding the rock star should keep his mouth shut until he reenters the country.
On May 19, Trump criticized Springsteen again, this time for his support of Trump's Democratic opponent in the 2024 election, former U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris: "HOW MUCH DID KAMALA HARRIS PAY BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN FOR HIS POOR PERFORMANCE DURING HER CAMPAIGN FOR PRESIDENT? WHY DID HE ACCEPT THAT MONEY IF HE IS SUCH A FAN OF HERS? ISN'T THAT A MAJOR AND ILLEGAL CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION?"
Snopes previously covered how Springsteen and pop star Taylor Swift both became targets of Trump's criticism. On May 16, the American Federation of Musicians labor union released a statement in support of Swift and Springsteen in the face of Trump's condemnation.
Springsteen, a longtime Democrat, also criticized Trump during his first term as president, calling him a "threat to our democracy."