commentary

The Boss took Washington back to a time when dissent mattered

Published May 29, 2026 9:35AM (EDT)

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band played for 40,000 fans in the rain at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. Images) (Paul Morigi/Getty Images)

After dealing with Donald Trump for the better part of the last decade, it was not until Wednesday night that I finally understood the difference between my childhood and today. I credit Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band for making that distinction clear.

Springsteen rode into Washington, D.C., to play in the driving rain for 40,000 fans at Nationals Park with the energy of a 19-year-old — and the insight of a 76-year-old who lived through the same divisiveness I experienced as a child.…