Bono
U2’s iconic frontman, Bono, has stepped into the fiery crosshairs of the ongoing clash between Bruce Springsteen and Donald Trump, all while offering a pointed response to the former president’s recent demand for a sweeping investigation into his alleged support for Kamala Harris.
Appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Bono used the moment not only to address the controversy but to do so with characteristic wit. When asked directly by Kimmel, “Whose side are you on Trump or Bruce Springsteen?” Bono didn’t hesitate. “I think there’s only one Boss in America,” he quipped, referencing Springsteen’s legendary moniker. The audience erupted in applause.
The feud between Trump and Springsteen reignited after the rock legend condemned the Trump administration during a concert in the U.K., labeling it a “corrupt, incompetent, and treasonous administration.” Trump responded with thinly veiled threats, only for Springsteen to reaffirm his remarks in another performance.
Kimmel then steered the conversation toward Trump’s Truth Social post in which he called for a “major investigation” into high-profile figures Bono included who publicly supported Kamala Harris during her campaign. The list also included Beyoncé, Oprah Winfrey, and of course, Springsteen.
Bono, always quick with a jab cloaked in charm, responded, “I don’t want to cut in on your feud, Jimmy, because I know that at 1 a.m or maybe it was 1:30 the president was probably thinking about you.” Then, with a grin, he added, “But two things. One, to be mentioned in the same breath as Bruce, Beyoncé, and Oprah I’d play tambourine in that band. And two, U2 has never performed or been paid to perform in support of any political candidate, from any party. Not once.”
He also took aim at Trump’s social platform, dismissing it as “not very true a lot of the time” and “pretty antisocial,” drawing laughter from the crowd.
As to why he believes he was singled out, Bono pointed to his longstanding work with the ONE Campaign, the bipartisan nonprofit he co-founded to promote global health and development, particularly in Africa. “A lot of religious conservatives Catholics, Evangelicals who actually voted for Trump, are outraged,” he explained. “Outraged that someone they supported is now dismantling programs like USAID and PEPFAR, which have saved over 26 million lives from AIDS. These are instruments of mercy. Of compassion. That’s the America we love. That’s the America we all want to believe in. And make no mistake, they are angry. There will be trouble.”
Bono’s reflections offered a powerful reminder of the role artists can play in public discourse combining satire with substance, and entertainment with moral urgency all while reminding us what compassion in leadership should look like.
