National Times Bureau, May 16, 2025– U.S. President Donald Trump reignited his long-running battles with musicians Bruce Springsteen and Taylor Swift on May 16 while flying back from a high-stakes diplomatic tour in the Middle East. Using his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump unleashed a string of personal insults, calling Springsteen an “obnoxious JERK” and claiming Swift is “no longer hot.”
The verbal jabs came in response to Springsteen’s recent concert in Manchester, where the iconic rocker blasted Trump’s administration as “corrupt, incompetent, and treasonous.” Springsteen accused the former president of dismantling American democratic values and cozying up to authoritarian regimes. Trump, in turn, ridiculed Springsteen’s musical relevance and warned him to “keep his mouth shut until he gets back into the country.”
Trump also took aim at Taylor Swift, whose public endorsement of Kamala Harris during the 2024 election still stings the former president. Once an admirer of Swift’s popularity, Trump flipped positions following her political stance, declaring, “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!” He further mocked her relationship with NFL star Travis Kelce, referring to the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl loss to belittle both.
The outburst came despite the serious nature of Trump’s overseas trip, which focused on expanding the Abraham Accords and seeking diplomatic solutions to ongoing tensions in Gaza. Yet even during this crucial foreign policy mission, Trump’s attention appeared locked on his celebrity critics.
Neither Springsteen nor Swift has issued a public response to Trump’s comments.
