Bono has firmly sided with Bruce Springsteen in the ongoing feud with former president Donald Trump, declaring “There’s only one Boss in America” during a recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live.
The U2 frontman found himself caught in Trump’s crosshairs earlier this month when the former president threatened to investigate him for alleged illegal campaign contributions, despite Bono being an Irish citizen with no eligibility to participate in US elections.
The late-night social media rant didn’t just target Bono. Trump also named Beyoncé and Oprah Winfrey as supposed offenders. Far from being offended, Bono embraced the association.
“To be in the company of Bruce Springsteen, Beyoncé, and Oprah—I’d play tambourine in that band,” the Irish musician quipped during his Kimmel appearance.
Bono clarified that neither he nor U2 have ever been paid to support political candidates, stating: “U2 and I have never been paid or played a show to support any candidate from any party. It has never happened. I know that it’s called Truth Social, it seems to be pretty antisocial, and it’s not very true a lot of the time.”
Trump’s tirades against Springsteen began after The Boss kicked off his 2025 ‘Land of Hope and Dreams’ European tour in Manchester earlier this month. During the performance, Springsteen criticised the former president’s administration, saying: “The America I love, the America I’ve written about, and has been a beacon of hope and liberty for 250 years, is currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent, and treasonous administration.”
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This critique apparently touched a nerve, as Trump has been publicly fuming about it ever since.
Bono joins a growing list of high-profile musicians who have publicly supported Springsteen, including Neil Young, Tom Morello, and Pearl Jam.
Young didn’t mince words in his own address to Trump: “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. I am not scared of you. Neither are the rest of us.”
Springsteen is currently touring Europe as part of his ‘Land of Hope and Dreams’ tour, which began in Manchester in early May 2025.
