A rumor surfaced recently that musicians Bruce Springsteen and Taylor Swift performed together seemingly as a protest against U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest criticism of the duo.
The claim first appeared on the Facebook pages Rock N’ Roll Mania and Rock & Roll Universe on May 20, 2025. Both had the same caption that read:
“When Bruce Springsteen and Taylor Swift took the stage together, it wasn’t just a duet — it was a statement. As the two icons stood shoulder to shoulder, the arena erupted in thunderous applause, drowning out the noise of viral criticism that had trailed them online.”
The Facebook posts that earned thousands of views, reactions, and comments were accompanied by images of Springsteen and Swift, performing onstage, on separate occasions.
However, the now-viral claim is fake. Bruce Springsteen and Taylor Swift have not performed at a concert together in recent times, nor is there a scheduled show where the duo is set to share the stage.
The fact-check website Snopes also debunked the rumor on May 21, 2025, and rated the claim as “false.”
Moreover, no major news outlet has reported on such a high-profile concert where The Boss did a show with the Lover songstress.
Bruce Springsteen and Taylor Swift did not recently perform together
The Facebook posts by Rock N’ Roll Mania and Rock & Roll Universe shared a false narrative claiming Bruce Springsteen recently performed at a concert with Taylor Swift.
“Backed by the full force of the U.S. Musicians Union, who declared their ‘solidarity’ with the artists, this moment became about more than music — it was about unity, defiance, and respect for artistry,” the caption of the posts read.
It continued, “Fans wept, cheered, and held up signs reading ‘We Stand With You,’ turning the performance into a powerful rebuke of negativity. In that electric moment, Swift and Springsteen didn’t just sing — they roared back with grace, grit, and soul…”
According to Snopes, both posts are fabricated, seemingly for virality. Also, the Rock & Roll Universe page is currently unavailable on Facebook.
Meanwhile, the affiliated websites, newsanchor360 and karkpost, that came along with the posts, redirected to advertisements, unrelated pages, or repetitive content, lacking any authentic source or credible evidence to support the rumor.
Additionally, the images in the posts do not depict a real concert where the duo shared the stage. Instead, they show Bruce Springsteen and Taylor Swift performing on separate occasions during their tours.
As per Snopes, one photograph showed the Blank Space singer performing in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in November 2023.
Meanwhile, images of the E Street Band member were from his concerts held in November 2022 and April 2023.
The posts also did not provide the “full video” evidence of the alleged concert, as mentioned in the caption, nor did the affiliated websites.
Instead, they had clips of Bruce Springsteen performing at his ongoing Land of Hopes and Dreams Tour and those of Taylor Swift from her bygone Eras Tour.
One clip even showed Taylor Swift live performing a rendition of Bruce Springsteen’s 1984 hit single, Dancing in the Dark from his second studio album, Born in the USA.
Furthermore, Snopes called the Facebook accounts from where the viral claim originated as misleading, which often uploaded factually incorrect and AI-generated content of famous musicians.
While Springsteen and Swift may not have performed together recently, they have long shared a mutual admiration. They have also been a longtime and vocal critic of Donald Trump and his administration.
Exploring Taylor Swift and Bruce Springsteen’s feud with Donald Trump
Ahead of the 2020 presidential election, Taylor Swift took to X and called out Donald Trump. At the time, she wrote:
“After stoking the fires of white supremacy and racism your entire presidency, you have the nerve to feign moral superiority before threatening violence? ‘When the looting starts, the shooting starts’??? We will vote you out in November.”
Likewise, before the 2024 election, the Midnight artist endorsed Kamala Harris and Tim Walz via Instagram, while indirectly condemning Donald Trump and JD Vance.
Donald Trump, too, has been a longtime critic of Taylor Swift. Over the years, he has posted clickbait images and videos of and with her. In September 2024, POTUS said he is “not a Taylor Swift fan” and later that same month claimed he “hated” her.
Following Swift’s appearance at the 2025 Super Bowl, Trump made fun of her and her relationship with Kansas City Chiefs’ star, Travis Kelce. He doubled down on it in April this year during a White House speech.
Earlier this month, Donald Trump went viral for calling the Grammy winner “no longer HOT” on a Truth Social post. However, Taylor hasn’t responded to the same yet.
As for Bruce Springsteen, he, too, faced the ire of the POTUS after he endorsed Harris-Walz in the 2024 election. However, most recently in May 2025, the rock star criticized Trump as “unfit” and his government as “rogue,” during his Manchester concerts on May 14 and 17.
“In my home, the America I love, the America I’ve written about, that has been a beacon of hope and liberty for 250 years, is currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent, and treasonous administration,” Bruce stated.
He added, “Tonight, we ask all who believe in democracy and the best of our American experiment to rise with us, raise your voices against authoritarianism and let freedom ring!”
Donald Trump responded twice via Truth Social. In the May 16 post, he called Springsteen “a pushy, obnoxious JERK” and a “dried out ‘prune’ of a rocker (his skin is all atrophied).”
He also warned the musician to keep his mouth shut in the future.
On May 19, POTUS doubled down on his backlash of Bruce Springsteen. He insinuated that Kamala Harris paid the artist for his “poor performance” at her election campaign last year, and warned him and other musicians like Beyonce and Bono of consequences.
In the wake of these back-and-forth, American Federation of Musicians labor union, of which both Swift and Springsteen are members, offered their solidarity.
A May 16 statement was posted on the AFM website that read:
“The American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada will not remain silent as two of our members—Bruce Springsteen and Taylor Swift—are singled out and personally attacked by the President of the United States.”
The statement called the artists “not just brilliant musicians,” but also “role models and inspirations to millions of people in the United States and across the world.”
“Whether it’s Born in the USA or the Eras Tour, their music is timeless, impactful, and has deep cultural meaning. Musicians have the right to freedom of expression, and we stand in solidarity with all our members,” it ended.
Musician Neil Young also showed his support for Swift and Springsteen, and other celebrities under attack by Trump. Meanwhile, Kid Rock called them out and stood by the POTUS.
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Edited by Prem Deshpande
