Neil Young blasts Trump over Springsteen, Swift attacks: 'I am not scared of you'
Neil Young is taking sides in the growing feud between President Donald Trump and Bruce Springsteen, placing himself firmly on the side of The Boss.
"What are you worryin' about man?" Young wrote in 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's screed comes after Trump lashed out at Springsteen for criticizing his presidency. In a post to Truth Social last week, the president called the New Jersey rocker "highly overrated" and a "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 Trump on big names in entertainment who backed the opposing ticket in 2024.
The president's comments followed an impassioned speech given by Springsteen during a May 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."
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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," Young wrote. "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 Swift is 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 opponent Kamala Harris in 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 by former 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.
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."