Bruce Springsteen, a longtime critic of former President Donald Trump, elaborated on his concept of "critical patriotism" during his recent PBS special, "Bruce Springsteen: Finding America in Song." He described a patriot as someone who loves their country enough to acknowledge its flaws and work toward improvement, saying, "I believe that’s the definition of a patriot, you know, that you love your country so much that you are willing to look at it clearly, recognize its faults, encourage it to be a better place, and believe that you carry in your heart the country that is waiting."

Springsteen has been openly critical of Trump for nearly a decade, beginning during his support for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. In 2026 alone, the two have exchanged sharp words. Earlier this year, Springsteen released "Streets of Minneapolis," an anti-ICE protest song honoring "innocent immigrant neighbors" and commemorating Alex Pretti and Renee Good, who were killed during protests against immigration crackdowns.

During a recent concert in New Jersey, Springsteen urged his audience to embrace "hope over fear, democracy over authoritarianism, the rule of law over lawlessness, ethics over unbridled corruption, resistance over complacency, truth over lies, unity over division and peace over war."

In response, White House officials directed Fox News Digital to an April Truth Social post from Trump, who disparaged Springsteen as a "bad, and very boring singer" suffering from "Trump Derangement Syndrome." Trump called Springsteen a "total loser who spews hate against a President who won a Landslide Election, including the popular vote, all Seven Swing States, and 86% of the Counties across America," and urged MAGA supporters to boycott Springsteen's concerts.

Sources: