When Bruce Springsteen performs at one of Hillary Clinton’s final campaign stops on Monday night, a rally on Independence Mall in Philadelphia, he’ll be among a flood of celebrities who have been on the trail in the waning days of the election.
He’ll be joined by Jon Bon Jovi, President Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, former President Bill Clinton, and Chelsea Clinton. Hillary Clinton’s final rally will be later that evening, in Raleigh, N.C.
Springsteen campaigned for John Kerry in 2004 and for Obama in 2008 and 2012, and his endorsement has been seen as a way for Democrats to reach the very type of voters that are reflected in his songs and ballads: working class citizens.
Although Springsteen has made it clear in interviews that he was opposed to Trump, that isn’t the case with a chunk of his fans. Among them: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who is heading Trump’s transition team.
Over the weekend, Clinton appeared at separate events with Beyonce and Jay Z, and then with Katy Perry. Stevie Wonder and Bon Jovi also appeared at events, and Jimmy Buffett is scheduled to appear with Vice President Joseph Biden in St. Petersburg, Fla., on Monday.
Trump, meanwhile, has mocked Clinton for depending on celebrity surrogates, even though he has also enlisted some showbiz figures. Ted Nugent appeared at a Trump rally in Sterling Heights, Mich., on Sunday. His social media posts have drawn charges that he was engaged in anti-semitic attacks, particularly as he advocates for gun rights.
Is there a price to pay for going partisan in this most divisive of campaigns? In the short term, emotions are running high. On Sunday night, just before Trump’s rally in Pittsburgh, Springsteen’s “Born in the USA” was played, but the crowd started to boo, and an audio technician shut it off, according to NBC News’ Peter Alexander.
