Bruce Springsteen blasted President Trump over his response to the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic during the latest installment of the musician’s new radio program Wednesday.
The acclaimed singer-songwriter began the most recent episode of his weekly show by tearing into Mr. Trump over his handling of the continuing global public health crisis.
“Now, I had another show prepared for broadcast this week, on this strange and eventful summer. But with a 100,000 plus Americans dying over the last few months, and the empty shamed response from our leaders, I’ve been simply pissed off. Those lives deserve better than just being inconvenient statistics for our president’s reelection efforts. It’s a national disgrace,” Mr. Springsteen said somberly during his show on SiriusXM, called “From His Home To Yours.”
“So instead of celebrating the joys of summer today, we will be contemplating on our current circumstances with the coronavirus and the cost it has drawn from our nation. We will be calculating what we’ve lost, sending prayers for the deceased and the families they’ve left behind,” Mr. Springsteen continued.
The “Born to Run” singer then appealed directly to Mr. Trump before taking a not-so-subtle dig at the president in the form of dedicating to him the first song of the show.
“I’m going to start out by sending one to the man sitting behind the resolute desk. With all respect sir, show some consideration and care for your countrymen and your country. Put on a f—-ing mask,” Mr. Springsteen said. “This is Bob Dylan with ’The Disease of Conceit.’ “
Mr. Springsteen, 70, has been highly critical of Mr. Trump in the past. He previously said that the president “has no interest in uniting the country” and that he fails to fully understand “what it means to be an American.”
“The Boss,” as he is known, also notably performed at a rally for 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton held on the eve of her losing to Mr. Trump that November.
More than 2.1 million cases of COVID-19, the contagious disease caused by the new coronavirus, have been confirmed in the U.S., according to Johns Hopkins University. More than 117,000 people have died in the U.S. from the disease and over 600,000 have recovered, according to the university. The U.S. has a population of roughly 330 million.
Public health experts including members of the White House Coronavirus Task Force have recommended that Americans cover their faces while in public to slow the spread of the disease.
Mr. Trump has only been spotted wearing a mask in public once since the pandemic began to wreak havoc around the country several months ago. He has said he did not “want to give press the pleasure” of seeing his face covered, he said.
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
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