Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello is backing Bruce Springsteen against Donald Trump — in characteristically fiery terms.
At a music festival in Boston on Sunday, the anti-capitalist axeman performed in front of a "F*** TRUMP" backdrop and welcomed his audience to the “last big event before they throw us all in jail.”
“Bruce is going after Trump because Bruce, his whole life, he’s been about truth, justice, democracy, equality,” said Morello, who has often toured and played with Springsteen in the past.
"And Trump is mad at him because Bruce draws a bigger audience. F*** that guy!” Morello added.
Springsteen is a longtime Trump critic who endorsed Kamala Harris in the 2024 election. But last week, their feud was rekindled when the “Born to Run” singer called Trump an "unfit president" leading a "corrupt, incompetent, and treasonous administration" during a concert earlier this month in Manchester, England.
Trump swiftly hit back on his social network Truth Social, calling him a "dried-out prune of a rocker" who is "not a talented guy,” before calling for a federal investigation into Springsteen's advocacy for Harris.
"BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, OPRAH, BONO AND, PERHAPS, MANY OTHERS, HAVE A LOT OF EXPLAINING TO DO!!!” Trump posted.
Trump also posted a fake video on Truth Social that appeared to show him hitting a golf ball that knocked down Springsteen.
Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder later honored Springsteen on stage by playing his “My City of Ruins” with the refrain: “Come on, rise up.” “Heart of Gold” rocker Neil Young also attacked Trump on his website, telling the president to back off Springsteen and concentrate instead on cleaning up the “mess you’ve made.”
On Sunday, Morello also praised his alma mater Harvard University — currently under attack by Trump for refusing to bend the knee to his government — for offering a free online civics course that teaches students "how to recognize a dictatorship takeover of your country.”
Sporting a Malcolm X hat, Morello at one point turned his guitar over to reveal a "F*** ICE" sign on the other side, before playing the instrument with his teeth.
