Bruce Springsteen has criticised Donald Trump‘s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, telling the US president: “Put on a f***ing mask.”
The singer-songwriter made the remarks on Wednesday, speaking on his From My Home to Yours series on US radio station SiriusXM.
“With 100,000-plus Americans dying over the last few months and the empty, shamed response from our leaders, I’ve been simply pissed off,” he said. “Those lives deserve better than being simply inconvenient statistics for our president’s re-election efforts. It’s a national disgrace.”
He continued: “Instead of celebrating the joys of summer today, we will be contemplating our current circumstances with the coronavirus and the cost it has drawn from our nation. We will be calculating what we’ve lost, sending prayers for the deceased and the families they have left behind.”
Although the coronavirus has claimed the lives of over 100,000 people in the US, Trump has often refused to wear a protective face mask during public appearances. Experts recommend wearing masks while out in public to limit the spread of infection
The president has also been widely criticised for re-opening large parts of the US economy while infection rates are still high.
Springsteen dedicated a song to Trump on his radio broadcast, saying: “If you are ready for a rock & roll requiem, stay tuned. I’m going to start out by sending one to the man sitting behind the resolute desk.”
“With all respect, sir, show some consideration and care for your countrymen and your country,” he added. ”Put on a f***ing mask. This is Bob Dylan with ‘Disease of Conceit’.”
The “Born in the USA” artist has long been an outspoken critic of the president. Last year, he told Gayle King that Trump “doesn’t have a grasp of the deep meaning of what it means to be an American”.
