BERLIN (AP) 鈥 Veteran rock star Bruce Springsteen, a high-profile critic of President Donald Trump, slammed the U.S. administration as 鈥渃orrupt, incompetent and treasonous鈥 during a concert Wednesday in Berlin.
He was addressing tens of thousands of fans at a stadium built for the that still bears the scars of World War II and contains relics from the country鈥檚 dark Nazi past.
鈥淭onight, we ask all who believe in democracy and the best of our American experiment to rise with us, raise your voices, stand with us against authoritarianism, and let freedom reign,鈥 he said.
Springsteen has made increasingly public statements in recent concerts. He peppered Wednesday's performance with mentions of the American democracy's system of checks and balances designed to ward against authoritarianism.
His short speeches 鈥 referencing recent headlines about , and 鈥 came between songs that were also captioned in German on large screens beside the stage. The set was flanked by an American flag on one side and a German flag on the other.
Still, the Boss remained hopeful: 鈥淭he America that I've sung to you about for the past 50 years of my life is real. And regardless of its many faults, it's a great country with great people. And we will survive this moment.鈥
But last month in Manchester, he denounced Trump's politics during a concert, calling him an 鈥渦nfit president鈥 leading a 鈥渞ogue government鈥 of people who have 鈥渘o concern or idea for what it means to be deeply American.鈥
Springsteen is no stranger to Berlin. In July 1988, he became one of the first Western musicians to perform in East Germany, performing to a roaring crowd of 160,000 East Germans yearning for American rock 鈥檔鈥 roll and the freedom it represented to the youth living under the crumbling communist regime.
鈥淚鈥檓 not here for or against any government. I鈥檝e come to play rock 鈥檔鈥 roll for you in the hope that one day all the barriers will be torn down,鈥 Springsteen said in German at the time, before launching into a cover of Bob Dylan鈥檚 鈥淐himes of Freedom.鈥
An Associated Press news story from that period says 鈥渇ireworks streaked through the sky鈥 and hundreds of people in the audience waved handmade American flags as they sang along to 鈥淏orn in the USA.鈥
The Berlin Wall fell the following year, and some experts credit the concert for its part in fueling the protest movement that brought the end of the Communist government.
Almost four decades later, Springsteen issued a stark warning: 鈥淭he America that I love, the America that I鈥檝e sung to you about, that has been a beacon of hope and liberty for 250 years, is currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent, and treasonous administration."
The rocker closed Wednesday's three-hour show with 鈥淐himes of Freedom.鈥
