Bruce Springsteen sees ‘an American tragedy’ happening, but holds hope for a turnaround

Bruce Springsteen, arguably one of America’s greatest song writers and musicians, feels out of tune with the political present.

Bruce Springsteen, arguably one of America’s greatest song writers and musicians, feels out of tune with the political present. In an interview with the New York Times conducted in April and published Wednesday, Springsteen said at the time he was working on a set list for his Land of Hopes and Dreams tour to address America’s “current situation.” In reference to the political and socio-economic climate in the US, Springsteen called it “an American tragedy.” “I think that it was the combination of the deindustrialization of the country and then the incredible increase in wealth disparity that left so many people behind. It was ripe for a demagogue,” Springsteen said. “And while I can’t believe it was this moron that came along, he fit the bill for some people. But what we’ve been living through in the last 70 days is things that we all said, ‘This can’t happen here.’ ‘This will never happen in America.’ And here we are.” Springsteen has not held back on sharing his thoughts about the current White House resident. In recent performances, Springsteen has denounced President Donald Trump and his administration as “corrupt, incompetent and treasonous.” Trump responded on social media by calling Springsteen “highly overrated.” Springsteen, however, said he remains hopeful for his country.