At Boston Calling in May 2025, Tom Morello criticized Donald Trump and defended Bruce Springsteen amid their public dispute. Morello also performed Springsteen’s “The Ghost of Tom Joad,” turning the set’s political message into a musical gesture of solidarity.
What Tom Morello said about Trump and Springsteen
Morello’s solo set at Boston Calling included a screen graphic reading “Fuck Trump,” which also described Trump as a “tyrant” and “Hater in Chief,” according to Rolling Stone Australia’s May 28, 2025 report. Morello greeted the crowd, as quoted by the outlet: “Welcome, brothers and sisters, to the last big event before they throw us all in jail.”
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He then connected his criticism of Trump directly to support for Springsteen: “Bruce is going after Trump because Bruce, his whole life, he’s been about truth, justice, democracy, equality,” Morello said, according to Rolling Stone Australia. He added: “And Trump is mad at him because Bruce draws a bigger audience. Fuck that guy.” The audience remark was Morello’s quip, not a verified comparison of audience figures.
Why Morello spoke up for Springsteen
Morello’s comments came after Springsteen criticized the Trump administration during a concert in England. Contemporary coverage by The Independent on May 27, 2025 reported that Trump responded with personal insults and called for a federal investigation into Springsteen’s political advocacy. Morello was weighing in on an existing dispute, not starting it.
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His defense cast Springsteen’s criticism as consistent with values Morello attributed to the singer: truth, justice, democracy and equality. The claim about Trump’s motive—that he was angry because Springsteen drew a larger audience—was Morello’s own characterization, not an established fact.
The Springsteen song at the center of the tribute
Morello performed “The Ghost of Tom Joad,” a Springsteen song whose title and political subject matter made it a pointed choice for a set framed around public dissent. The song also carried a personal musical connection: Springsteen’s official site says Morello first performed it live with Springsteen and the E Street Band in April 2008.
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Morello later toured extensively with the E Street Band from 2012 to 2015 and appeared on Springsteen’s albums Wrecking Ball and High Hopes, according to Springsteen’s official site. The Boston performance therefore drew on a collaboration that had been part of their musical history for years.
Other political moments in Morello’s Boston set
The Springsteen tribute was part of a wider political set. Rolling Stone Australia reported that Morello also performed Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land” and argued that familiar versions leave out verses that explain the song’s meaning. “It’s a beautiful song, but they censored out all the verses that explain what the song is really about,” he said, as quoted by the outlet, calling it a “revolutionary anthem.” The report also noted an anti-ICE message displayed on his guitar.
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What happened after Boston Calling
The Boston Calling set took place in May 2025; later joint appearances and announcements belong to a separate period. In February 2026, Springsteen’s official site announced that Morello would join Springsteen and the E Street Band for selected songs at each date of the Land of Hope and Dreams American Tour.
An Associated Press report carried by The Washington Post on May 28, 2026 described the pair appearing together at Nationals Park and announcing the October 3 Power to the People festival near Washington. Morello organized the festival, which Springsteen was set to headline; a portion of ticket proceeds was designated for VoteRiders and HeadCount. These later developments show their collaboration continued, but they were not part of Morello’s 2025 Boston set.
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