Bruce Springsteen tells Trump on his radio show to "put on a fucking mask" | NME

Bruce Springsteen has criticised US President Donald Trump‘s handling of the coronavirus pandemic within the country, telling Trump on his radio show to “put on a fucking mask.”

On volume 6 of his SiriusXM radio show From His Home To Yours, which began broadcast from June 17, Springsteen said, “With 100,000 plus Americans dying over the last few months and the empty, shamed response from our leaders, I’ve been simply pissed off.

“Those lives deserve better than being simply inconvenient statistics for our president’s re-election efforts. It’s a national disgrace.”

“Instead of celebrating the joys of summer today, we will be contemplating our current circumstances with the coronavirus and the cost it has drawn from our nation,” he continued.

“We will be calculating what we’ve lost, sending prayers for the deceased and the families they have left behind. So if you are ready for a rock ‘n’ roll requiem, stay tuned.”

Springsteen then addressed Trump, whom he described as “the man sitting behind the resolute desk”: “With all respect, sir, show some consideration and care for your countrymen and your country. Put on a fucking mask.”

Hear the snippet of Springsteen’s show here:

As reported by Rolling Stone, Springsteen then went on to play a string of mournful songs, including Bob Dylan‘s ‘Disease of Conceit’ and Neil Young‘s ‘When God Made Me’, while also reading out the names of people who have died from COVID-19, like John Prine and Adam Schlesinger.

Earlier this month, Springsteen shared a powerful tribute to George Floyd on his show. After playing his eight-minute song ‘American Skin (41 Shots)’, he said that’s “how long it took George Floyd to die with a Minneapolis officer’s knee buried into his neck.

“That’s a long time. That’s how long he begged for help and said he couldn’t breathe. The arresting officer’s response was nothing but silence and weight. Then he had no pulse. And still it went on… may he rest in peace.”