FACT CHECK: Did Bruce Springsteen Say That ‘Decent Americans’ Outnumber Trump Supporters?

Aryssa Damron | Fact Check Reporter

The Facebook page Sick of the Slant shared an image Saturday claiming that singer Bruce Springsteen said, “You are not alone. Decent Americans out number [sic] Trump supporters 3 to 1.”

Verdict: False

There is no evidence that Springsteen ever said this, though he has been critical of President Donald Trump in the past. Springsteen, when asked in 2016, said that it was unfair to call Trump supporters racist.

Fact Check:

While many celebrities, including Springsteen, have been openly critical of Trump, The Daily Caller could not find evidence of Springsteen ever saying or writing this quote. The image has not been shared on his social media accounts.

Another posting of the same image links to an article about Springsteen’s disdain for Trump, but it does not quote him as saying that Trump supporters aren’t “decent Americans.” We found memes with the same wording that were not attributed to the singer-songwriter.

Before one of his “Springsteen on Broadway” shows in late 2018, Springsteen told Esquire that Trump has “no interest in uniting the country, really, and actually has an interest in doing the opposite and dividing us, which he does on an almost daily basis.” He called this a “crime against humanity.”

At one point, he offered thoughts on why some Americans find Trump appealing. “I do feel that people feel under siege, and sometimes for reasons that I don’t agree with and that are unfortunate,” Springsteen said. “Like I say, whether it’s the changing face of the nation or … I think those people legitimately feel under siege. Their way of life is somehow threatened – is existentially threatened. And maybe that explains Trump and maybe it doesn’t.”

When asked prior to the 2016 election whether he thought Trump supporters were racist, Springsteen said no. “I don’t think you can generalize like that,” he told Channel 4 in October 2016. “There’s all kinds of people that are interested in him for a variety of different reasons.”

He said he understood the appeal Trump had for people who have struggled for many years, but felt confident that he’d lose. In a December 2018 interview, though, Springsteen said that he believed Trump would be re-elected in 2020.

“I don’t see anyone out there at the moment,” he said of the potential 2020 field, which now includes more than a dozen Democratic candidates. “The Democrats don’t have an obvious, effective presidential candidate.”

Springsteen’s representatives did not respond to the Caller’s request for comment.

Follow Aryssa on Twitter 

Have a fact check suggestion? Send ideas to [email protected].

Aryssa Damron

Fact Check Reporter

Trending