Bruce Springsteen and Tom Morello at A Concert of Solidarity & Resistance to Defend Minnesota held at First Avenue on January 30, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The rock icon told fans during his Sunday (April 26) show that we can disagree, but in no way, shape or form is "political violence of any kind" acceptable.
Bruce Springsteen has made no secret of his disdain and distrust of Donald Trump and his administration. But after a gunman stormed the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday night (April 25) at the Washington Hilton, the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer offered a plea for peace at home and overseas as well as a broadside against political violence during the E Street Band’s show at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas on Sunday night (April 26).
“We begin tonight with a prayer for our men and women in service overseas, we pray for their safe return,” said Springsteen according to fan videos of the moment. “We also send out a prayer of thanks that our President, nor anyone in the administration, nor anyone attending, was injured at last night’s incident at the [White House] Press Correspondents’ Dinner.”
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Springsteen added, “We can disagree. We can be critical of those in power, and we can peacefully fight for our beliefs. But there is no place in any way, shape, or form for political violence of any kind in our beloved United States.”
While Springsteen has been a frequent Trump antagonist lately, calling out the president and his administration for bringing “death and terror to the streets of Minneapolis” during the launch of the Land of Hope and Dreams American tour show in that city last month, the Boss took a more conciliatory tone on Sunday in the wake of what appears to be the third attempt on Trump’s life since he re-took office last year.
The turnabout came after Trump and VP JD Vance were hustled off the stage just as the dinner was slated to begin on Saturday night after a man officials said was armed with several weapons charged through a security checkpoint in the lobby outside the hotel ballroom where the event was being held.
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After shooting an officer, a suspect, identified as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, Calif., was taken down and arrested at the scene. At press time Allen’s motive was not known.
Trump appeared on 60 Minutes on Sunday night and told interviewer Norah O’Donnell “we live in a crazy world,” noting that he made things hard on his Secret Service detail after the sound of shots rang out because he wanted to stay behind and “see what was happening,” a major breach of security protocol in such chaotic situations. The alleged attempt on Trump’s life came at the same hotel where late President Ronald Reagan was almost assassinated by gunman John Hinckley more than 45 years ago.
The president then grew visibly angry when O’Donnell began reading a portion of the manifesto allegedly left behind by Cole, who wrote that he is “no longer willing to permit a pedophile, rapist and traitor to coat my hands with his crimes,” in reference to a number of accusations against Trump over his years in office, all of which he has denied. Trump called O’Donnell and other journalists who try to hold public officials to account “horrible people, horrible people,” adding, “Yeah, he did write that. I’m not a rapist. I didn’t rape anybody … You shouldn’t be reading that on 60 Minutes. You’re a disgrace. But let’s finish the interview.”
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Though O’Donnell did not specifically claim that Cole appeared to be referring to Trump when reading the alleged shooter’s manifesto, Trump’s peeved reaction led her to ask, “oh you think — do you think he was referring to you?” Visibly annoyed, Trump added, “I’m not a pedophile. Excuse me. Excuse me. I’m not a pedophile. You read that crap from some sick person? I got associated with all — stuff that has nothing to do with me. I was totally exonerated. Your friends on the other side of the plate are the ones that were involved with, lets say, Epstein or other things.”
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Before any charges are leveled at Cole, Trump referred to the alleged shooter as “probably a pretty sick guy.”
Though Trump had never attended a Correspondents’ Dinner in his previous term out of seeming pique with how the Washington press corps has covered his terms in office, he said he’d like this year’s scuttled night to be rescheduled within 30 days, using the event as another opportunity to plug his long-desired new ballroom at the White House. “I don’t want to see it be canceled. I don’t want to have a crazy person — I think it’s really bad for a crazy person to be able to cancel something like this,” he told O’Donnell.
