The rock star has long aligned himself with Democrats and been critical of former President Donald J. Trump.
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Bruce Springsteen said former President Donald J. Trump’s efforts to hang on to power after losing the 2020 presidential election “should disqualify him” from returning to the presidency.
Bruce Springsteen, the rock star and longtime critic of former President Donald J. Trump, endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday, praising the Democratic nominee for appealing to a more unified America and decrying Mr. Trump as the “most dangerous candidate for president in my lifetime.”
In a three-minute video published on social media, Mr. Springsteen, 75, called upon the themes that have defined his career for more than half a century — battling divisions, giving voice to working-class values and fighting for freedom and equality — as he declared Ms. Harris and her running mate, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, to be the stewards of that vision.
Mr. Springsteen, who wore a plaid jacket and sat at the diner bar of Roberto’s Freehold Grill in Freehold, N.J., in the endorsement video, contrasted Mr. Trump with Ms. Harris, saying that she had a “vision of this country that respects and includes everyone — regardless of class, religion, race, your political point of view or sexual identity.”
He added that he believed that her platform centered on growing the economy for everyone, and that her approach aligned with “the vision of America I have been consistently writing about for 55 years.”
As he lauded the Democratic ticket for representing working-class America, Mr. Springsteen had pointed words for Mr. Trump. He said that the former president “doesn’t understand the meaning of this country” and has displayed a “disdain” for America’s democratic system.
His endorsement of Ms. Harris was anticipated, given Mr. Springsteen’s alliance with Democratic candidates in the past. But the announcement came as a welcome surprise to the Harris campaign looking to make inroads with working-class voters, especially as some major unions have declined to offer endorsements in the election. And while it is difficult to measure the impact of endorsements, stars have shown an ability to increase civic activity. Taylor Swift’s endorsement of Ms. Harris last month led to 405,999 visits to Vote.gov — a site where citizens can register to vote or find out election information — through the link on Ms. Swift’s Instagram story in the 24 hours it was live.
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Source: nytimes.com
