Neil Young, a Canadian who moved to the United States in 1966 to help Stephen Stills form the innovative band Buffalo Springfield, has always been outspoken. It was the shooting of four Kent State University students by National Guardsmen in 1970 that caused him to quickly write and record the protest song,“Ohio” with Crosby Stills Nash & Young.
The song includes the lyrics “Tin Soldiers and Nixon coming”. The President at the time, Richard Nixon, was a verbal target of a lot of young people as he expanded the unpopular Vietnam War. He also was later forced out of office for his part in the Watergate scandal. He saw his top aides convicted and imprisoned for the coverup of the Watergate break-in, but Nixon was given a pardon by his replacement, President Gerald Ford.
Now, 55-years after “Ohio”, there’s another President who has ticked off dual Canadian & American citizen Neil Young.
Naturally, Neil was not happy with the recent talk of making Canada a state, and with the tariffs that make the normally easy movement of goods and services between the U.S. and our closest ally so difficult and expensive for all North Americans. Young even said his outspokenness might cause him to not be allowed back in the country after his European tour.
Then another famous Rock Star (who was born in the U.S.A.), Bruce Springsteen, spoke out too.
Springsteen was performing in England when he said… “In my home, the America I love, the America I’ve written about, and that has been a beacon of hope and freedom for 250 years, is currently in the control of a corrupt, incompetent, and treasonous administration.
The sitting president then posted that Springsteen is “Highly Overated”, and threatened that “We’ll see how it goes for him” when he gets back to the country. He also used the office of the President to call Springsteen “a dried old prune”. Here’s a recent photo of Bruce, you can decide.
For his part, Bruce Springsteen again spoke out saying… “In my home they’re persecuting people for their right to free speech and for voicing their descent. In America, the richest men are taking satisfaction in abandoning the world’s poorest children to sickness and death (by ending USAID). In my country, they’re taking sadistic pleasure in the pain they inflict on loyal American workers (over 260,000 government workers have lost their jobs).”
Of course Neil Young supported his fellow singer-songwriter. He said… “Bruce and thousands of musicians think you are ruining America. Stop thinking about what rockers are saying. Start thinking about saving America from the mess you made.”
The President suggested musicians and entertainers who supported his opponent in the last election should be investigated. He singled out one pop star for a personal insult by saying “Taylor Swift is no longer hot.”
It was not clear whether he was saying Swift was no longer successful, or no longer looked good. Just two days ago, it was announced that Taylor Swift became the first woman to have three albums be streamed more than 10-billion times each (Folklore, Lover, & Midnights). She’s tied with The Weeknd for that distinction.
So, Swift is still hot professionally. You can bet all your money that her next album will be her 15th straight #1.
He must have meant her looks. Here she is during a recent appearance at the 2025 Grammys. You can decide.
Like in the 60s and 70s, artists and all people in America, even presidents, are free to express their opinions, and of course they should be able to do it without threats of persecution.