Bruce Springsteen shocked fans after his usual message of denouncing the President was replaced by a prayer for his safety after the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
The 76-year-old began his show acknowledging that he was grateful that Donald Trump and no others were harmed after a gunman attempted to storm the dinner on Saturday night.
‘We begin tonight with a prayer for our men and women overseas, we pray for their safe return,’ said the musician on Sunday at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas.
‘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 Press Correspondents’ Dinner.’
Springsteen, a longtime Democrat who opened Joe Biden’s inauguration special and has been a vociferous critic of Trump, 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,' Springsteen said to the crowd.
The E Street Band frontman has been preaching a call to action to fans nightly at the end of shows since the start of his Land of Hope and Dreams Tour, which began March 31, according to My Central Jersey.
‘Find a way to take aggressive, peaceful action to defend our country’s ideals and, as the great civil rights leader John Lewis said, “Go out and get into some good trouble,”’ said Springsteen.
Bruce Springsteen, 76, started his show on Sunday with a prayer for President Donald Trump’s safety after the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner the night before
Springsteen, a longtime Democrat who opened Joe Biden’s inauguration special and has been a vociferous critic of Donald Trump
The New Jersey native frequently appeared in Minneapolis to protest Trump and his White House staffers following the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti
The singer also frequently appeared in Minneapolis to protest Trump and his White House staffers following the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, including writing a song called ‘Streets of Minneapolis’ inspired by their killings.
Earlier this month, the President took a shot at the musician, calling him ‘very boring’ and someone who looks like ‘a dried-up prune’.
Trump wrote the Truth Social post on April 2 after Springsteen attacked Trump as ‘reckless, racist and treasonous’ at a concert in the City of Lakes.
‘Bad, and very boring singer, Bruce Springsteen, who looks like a dried-up prune who has suffered greatly from the work of a really bad plastic surgeon, has long had a horrible and incurable case of Trump Derangement Syndrome, sometimes referred to as TDS,’ Trump wrote.
The President added that Springsteen is ‘a total loser who spews hate’ against him, before listing several of his accomplishments in office.
Trump concluded: ‘MAGA SHOULD BOYCOTT HIS OVERPRICED CONCERTS, WHICH SUCK. SAVE YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY. AMERICA IS BACK!!!’
The President and the First Lady had to be evacuated from the dinner on Saturday night before guests had a chance to tuck into their appetizers.
Secret Service agents swarmed the ballroom at the Washington Hilton following a series of 'loud noises.'
Terror rippled through the Correspondents' Dinner on Saturday night after a gunman opened fire
The suspected shooter, identified as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, had breached the security checkpoint at the event before he was swiftly taken down by law enforcement. A secret service agent was shot during the incident, but is expected to recover
The ballroom was filled with the nation's top journalists, Hollywood celebrities, and Cabinet members, including Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and FBI director Kash Patel.
The incident occurred at the same hotel where President Ronald Reagan was shot in 1981 – an eerie historical parallel that was not lost on those in attendance.
Terrified attendees took cover wherever they could as they anxiously waited for news.
The suspected shooter, identified as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, had breached the security checkpoint at the event before he was swiftly taken down by law enforcement.
Trump, still wearing his tuxedo, addressed the nation just two hours later. 'When you're impactful, they go after you,' he said defiantly. 'They seem to think he was a lone wolf. We're not going to let anybody take over our society.'
A Secret Service agent was shot during the incident, but is expected to recover, as the president continued on to say that the agent 'was shot from a very close distance with a very powerful gun, and the [bulletproof] vest did the job.'
'I just spoke to the officer and he's doing great,' Trump added.
The White House has confirmed that the dinner will be rescheduled within 30 days, promising an event that is 'bigger and better.'