Overview
- Vini “Mad Dog” Lopez, in interviews published Sunday, said people should show respect for President Trump and that he would greet him with “mucho respect” in person.
- Lopez said he and Bruce Springsteen remain on good terms and that he backs Springsteen’s right to speak, though he keeps his own band’s shows free of politics.
- During his Land of Hope and Dreams tour, which began March 31 in Minneapolis, Springsteen has called the Trump administration “corrupt, incompetent, racist, reckless and treasonous.”
- Trump has fired back by urging a boycott of Springsteen’s shows and by mocking the singer as a “dried-up prune” in recent social media posts.
- Right-leaning outlets highlighted Lopez’s remarks, while musicians’ unions have defended artists’ speech, underscoring the partisan lines shaping the dispute.