Did Pete Townshend of The Who call Bruce Springsteen overrated amid anti-Trump comments? Viral claim debunked

Reports of Pete Townshend describing Bruce Springsteen as overrated have been trending on social media for some time. Notably, the latter recently created headlines after he made anti-Trump comments during a performance in Manchester last week on May 14, 2025.

The reports of Pete Townshend’s comments went viral from a Facebook post shared by America’s Last Line of Defense on Tuesday, May 20. The post seemingly referred to everything that Springsteen said about the Trump administration during his show.

The news has been revealed to be false since America’s Line of Defense has claimed in their Facebook biography that everything posted on their page is not real, despite the fact that they have described themselves as an entertainment website.

The bio reads,

"The flagship of the ALLOD network of trollery and propaganda for cash. Nothing on this page is real."

The Facebook post included a photo of Pete Townshend, known as the vocalist for the rock band The Who, with a black background. The picture included the details of his comments, which read:

“Rock Legend Pete Townshend of The Who says Bruce Springsteen ruined everyone’s night when he brought politics to the stage. “He’s a bit overrated to begin with. He’s the kind of bloke who should just shut up and play.””

Meanwhile, Townsend has not made any such comments on any platform or in any interview. While the reports of the comments are trending everywhere, Townsend has not shared any response to the same until now.

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Bruce Springsteen has released a new EP: Comments against the Trump administration and more

As mentioned, the singer and songwriter expressed his dissatisfaction with Donald Trump on stage while he was performing in Manchester. According to USA Today, Springsteen said during the show that American residents are reportedly being mistreated for “using their right to free speech and voicing their dissent.”

Furthermore, Bruce Springsteen requested everyone to speak up if they feel something is going wrong and told them to stand against authoritarianism at the same time. As per Billboard, Springsteen also told the crowd:

“In America, the richest men are taking satisfaction in abandoning the world’s poorest children to sickness and death. That’s happening now. In my country, they’re taking sadistic pleasure in the pain they inflict on loyal American workers.”

The guitarist referred to the immigrants, saying that they are being removed from the streets and transported to foreign detention centers. He continued:

“The majority of our elected representatives have utterly failed to protect the American people from the abuses of an unfit president and a rogue government. They have no concern or idea of what it means to be deeply American.”

Meanwhile, Bruce Springsteen has released a new EP titled Land of Hope & Dreams on May 21, 2025. Rolling Stone stated that the project included Springsteen’s opinion about America in the introduction of the single, also titled Land of Hope & Dreams. He said that the country has been taken over by an administration that is “corrupt, incompetent, and treasonous.”

Springsteen shared similar thoughts in another single from the soundtrack, My City of Ruins. The lyrics feature the singer claiming that the Trump administration has joined the dictators, creating issues for those who are fighting for freedom, as per Rolling Stone.

The soundtrack of the new EP features six singles, including a Bob Dylan cover. Bruce Springsteen also announced the arrival of the new EP through an Instagram post. However, Trump has yet to share his reaction to the EP, considering that the lyrics refer to his administration.