Why Trump Is Threatening to Investigate Bruce Springsteen

Source: Rolling Stone

Why Trump Is Threatening to Investigate Bruce Springsteen

Asawin Suebsaeng and Andrew Perez
Tue, May 20, 2025 at 1:27 PM EDT 8 min read

Early Monday morning, when much of the White House press corps was fast asleep, President Donald Trump demanded the federal government conduct a “major investigation” into singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, a Trump critic, and his presidential endorsement last year.

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That would be a mistake. Trump’s crusade against the First Amendment and free expression dates back to at least his first four years in the White House, and his 2016 presidential campaign. And Trump’s recurring threat against “The Boss” is yet another front in his second administration’s larger scorched-earth campaign against free speech and democratic values in this country.

“Accountability for a class of people who act as if they’re above the law may be uncomfortable for Rolling Stone, but it’s refreshing to the American people,” says Trump White House spokesperson Harrison Fields. He adds that the Department of Justice and the Federal Election Commission have jurisdiction over these supposed matters, and that “each entity will act independently in its decision-making.” (The FEC declined to comment on this story; the DOJ did not immediately respond.)

According to three sources familiar with the matter, Trump has repeatedly vented to close associates, both before and after his 2024 election victory, about using the Justice Department, Federal Communications Commission, FEC, and other government organs to crack down on (in his incorrect characterization) the “illegal” campaign finance violations made by Democratic-aligned celebrities, including late-night talk show hosts, and other liberals.

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Read more: https://www.yahoo.com/news/why-trump-threatening-investigate-bruce-172759161.html