Bruce Springsteen takes on Trump, ICE at LOD, 'You must speak out'

[highplainsdem]

Source: Asbury Park Press

Bruce Springsteen criticized the Trump administration's deployment of ICE agents to Minneapolis, and the fatal shooting by an ICE agent of Renee Good, at the Light of Day Winterfest main event show Saturday, Jan. 17 at the Count Basie Center for the Arts in Red Bank.

“I wrote this song as an ode to American possibility,” said Springsteen while introducing “The Promised Land.” “It was about a both beautiful but flawed country, that we are, and the country that we could be. Right now, we are living through incredibly critical times. The United States, the ideals and the values for which it stood for the past 250 years, is being tested as it's never been in modern times.”

-snip-

“Those values and those ideals have never been as endangered as they are right now,” Springsteen said. “So as we gather tonight in this beautiful display of love and care and thoughtfulness and community, if you believe in democracy and liberty and believe the truth still matters, you must speak out and it's worth fighting for. If you believe in the power of the law and that no one stands above it. If you stand against heavily armed masked federal troops invading an American city, using Gestapo tactics against our fellow citizens. If you believe you don't deserve to be murdered for exercising your American right to protest, send a message to this president as the mayor of that city has said, ICE should get the (expletive) out of Minneapolis.”

-snip-

“This song is for you and the memory of a mother of three, American Renee Good,” said Springsteen, who then played the opening notes of “The Promised Land” on harmonica.

Read more: https://www.app.com/story/entertainment/music/2026/01/18/bruce-springsteen-ice-donald-trump-light-of-day/88241933007/

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The paragraphs snipped above were about the applause from the audience. I didn't snip out anything the Boss said introducing the song.

That festival, Light of Day, raises money to fight Parkinson's and related diseases. Springsteen's appearance there hadn't been announced.

EDITING to add video:

[SheltieLover]

1. The Boss rocks!

[Bayard]

2. BRUCE!

He still speaks for us old farts!

[SheilaAnn]

3. He's an old friend from our days in Freehold and I'm sure he would mention he's becoming an old fart himself. LOL.

[Wicked Blue]

4. Speaking of old farts

that very theater is where I saw my first movie, "Lady and the Tramp," at age 3. Circa 1955.

[SheilaAnn]

7. It's a very nice spot. n/t

[3Hotdogs]

10. Beat'cha. I saw "The African Queen" there - 1951.

It was about 25 years ago that I found out it was based on a real event when the "Queen's" hull was discovered.

I rented the movie several years ago on Netflix. It's funny, how you look at something with a different point of view, seeing it years after. I look at the scene where Rose threw Charlie's case of gin overboard. If that was me, Rose would'a been in the water, right after the gin.

[twodogsbarking]

5. Bruce means it. He takes it all hard I think. He is that kind and that kind of a person. Born in the USA.

Kindness matters. So does hate.

[PSPS]

6. Here comes the endless stream of name calling in all caps.

[electric_blue68]

8. TY, Bruce, band, and highplainsdem...

Bruce always had, or learned early to have a caring spirit.

For instance, for those who don't follow him; in every city for decades when they toured they donated to the local food banks.

That's something known publicly. Pretty sure other donations to organizations have happened in private.

[ForgoTheConsequence]

9. Can't wait for all the MAGATS to pretend they're offended.

"Stick to making music," they've been saying to our truth tellers for decades.