Pearl Jam rocker Eddie Vedder called out President Donald Trump and came to fellow musician Bruce Springsteen's defense after Trump said there would be consequences for the "Highly Overrated" Springsteen for going "to a Foreign Country to speak badly about the President of the United States."
During a concert in Manchester, England, Springsteen took aim at Trump, denouncing what he called Trump’s “corrupt, incompetent and treasonous administration.” The rock legend also criticized the president’s approach to dissent, saying U.S. authorities under Trump “are persecuting people for using their right to speech and voicing their dissent.”
Afterward, Trump threatened Springsteen, saying the rocker "ought to KEEP HIS MOUTH SHUT until he gets back into the Country."
Over the weekend, Vedder showed his support for Springsteen by covering "My Life in Ruins," a moment that went viral.
And during Pearl Jam’s Sunday night performance in Pittsburgh, Vedder addressed the crowd with pointed remarks that, while never naming Trump directly, left little doubt about where he stood:
“[Trump’s] response had nothing to do with the issues. They didn’t talk about one of those issues, they didn’t have a conversation about one of those issues. They didn’t debate about any one of those issues."
"All that we heard were personal attacks and threats that nobody else should try to use their microphones or voice in public or they’ll be shut down. Now that’s not allowed in this country that we call America. Part of free speech is open discussion. Part of democracy is healthy public discourse."
"The name-calling is so beneath us. Bruce has always been as pro-American with his values and liberty, and his justice has always remained intact. And I’m saying this now to be sure this freedom to speak will still exist in a year or two when we come back to this microphone.”
You can hear what he said in the video below.
Many applauded Vedder's remarks while calling out Trump themselves.
Trump has since called for "major investigations" into several prominent performers—including Springsteen, Beyoncé Knowles, and Bono–for supporting former Vice President Kamala Harris.
Trump claimed that "candidates aren’t allowed to pay for ENDORSEMENTS, which is what Kamala did, under the guise of paying for entertainment." He added that these "unpatriotic" performers acted in "a CORRUPT & UNLAWFUL way to capitalize on a broken system."
The entire accusation rings hollow, given that these entertainers have long been vocal supporters of Democratic candidates and progressive causes. It’s clear they didn’t require any financial incentive to back Harris. As of this writing, there does not appear to be an active investigation into any of the performers.
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