Neil Youngis taking sides in the growing feud betweenPresident Donald TrumpandBruce Springsteen,placing himself firmly on the side of The Boss. "What are you worryin' about man?" Young wrotein a post on his website,seemingly directed at the 47th president. "Bruce and thousands of musicians think you are ruining America. You worry about that instead of the dyin' kids in Gaza. That's your problem." Young'sscreed comes afterTrump lashed out at Springsteenfor criticizing his presidency. In a post to Truth Social last week, the president calledthe New Jersey rocker"highly overrated" and a "dried out prune." Bruce Springsteen doubles downafter Trump calls him 'dried out prune' "Never liked him, never liked his music, or his Radical Left Politics and, importantly, he's not a talented guy," Trump wrote. "Just a pushy, obnoxious JERK, who fervently supported Crooked Joe Biden." Springsteen,whose music has become synonymous with working-class struggles and the American heartland, has long supported Democratic candidates. His feud with the president is part of a larger trend of attacks from Trumpon big names in entertainmentwho backed the opposing ticket in 2024. The president's comments followed an impassioned speech given bySpringsteenduring aMay 14 concert in Manchester, England."The mighty E Street Band is here tonight to call upon the righteous power of art, of music, of rock 'n' roll in dangerous times," he told the crowd before the night's first song, later calling Trump "corrupt, incompetent and treasonous." Never miss a viral moment:Sign upfor USA TODAY's Everyone's Talking newsletter. Trump calls Bruce Springsteen'obnoxious jerk' after singer voiced criticism at concert The moment ignited a back-and-forth between an icon of American rock and the president. Young is now throwing his hat in the ring,defending Springsteen and Taylor Swift,who was ensnared in the fight. "I am not scared of you. Neither are the rest of us,"Youngwrote. "You shut down FEMA when we needed it most. That's your problem Trump. STOP THINKING ABOUT WHAT ROCKERS ARE SAYING. Think about saving America from the mess you made. "Taylor Swiftis right. So is Bruce. You know how I feel. You are more worried about yourself than AMERICA. Wake up Trump!!" he continued. "Remember what the White House is? 86/47??? That's what you think about? You are forgetting your real job. You work for us." Swift,who endorsed Trump's onetime political opponentKamala Harrisin the 2024 general election, was also the subject of a recent Truth Social missive. "Has anyone noticed that, since I said 'I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT,' she's no longer 'HOT?'" the president wrote. As for 86/47,the phrase refers to a recent Instagram post byformer FBI Director James Comey,who attracted the ire of the president and his attorney general when he shared a photo of seashells on the beach with the same numbers. While the administration said they perceived the post as a threat, Comey has since clarified that he was not advocating for violence. What does 8647 mean?Why James Comey's Instagram post triggered federal response Young is not the only one coming to Swift and Springsteen's defense. In a May 16 statement, The American Federation of Musicians wrote: "Bruce Springsteen and Taylor Swift are not just brilliant musicians, they are role models and inspirations to millions of people in the United States and across the world … Musicians have the right to freedom of expression, and we stand in solidarity with all our members." Young finished his post by calling on Republicans to take action. "Wake up Republicans! This guys is out of control. We need a real president!" he wrote, signing it "Neil Young and many others." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Neil Young pens angry letter to Trump over Bruce Springsteen attacks
