Why did Bruce Springsteen oppose the George W. Bush administration’s policies?

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Bruce Springsteen plays an acoustic guitar and sings into a microphone on stage at the New York Film Festival Spotlight Gala. — Bruce Springsteen American rock musician Bruce Springsteen performs at the New York Film Festival Spotlight Gala at Alice Tully Hall in New York City, 2025. The gala featured a screening of *Deliver Me from Nowhere* (2025), a biopic centering on the making of Springsteen's 1982 album *Nebraska*.

Beginning with the tour for his 2002 album The Rising, Bruce Springsteen became an adamant critic of the U.S. government and the administration of President George W. Bush.1

His opposition was primarily driven by his concerns regarding the Iraq War. Additionally, his 2007 album Magic served as a platform for his commentary against government intrusions on civil liberties. This political stance eventually led him to actively support Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry during the 2004 Vote for Change tour.1