Journey’s Jonathan Cain tells Springsteen to ‘shut up’ about politics

Journey keyboardist Jonathan Cain didn’t hold back his feelings about Bruce Springsteen during a podcast appearance, telling the rock icon to “shut up” about politics on stage.

Speaking on the “Tom Barnard” podcast, Cain called out stars like Springsteen and actor Robert De Niro for using their art as political platforms. He argued that musicians should stick to entertaining fans, not telling them how to vote.

“I used to be a Democrat back in the old days, but I just couldn’t go there anymore, you know?” Cain said in comments from May, resurfaced by Variety.

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A split image shows Bruce Springsteen, left, and Journey keyboardist Jonathan Cain, right. Cain recently criticized Springsteen for discussing politics during his concerts, saying musicians should focus on entertaining audiences rather than telling fans how to vote. (Jeremychanphotography/Getty Images; Taylor Hill/WireImage)

Calling himself a “diehard conservative,” Cain called on his fellow performers to stick with what they’re good at.

“Guys like Bruce Springsteen should shut up, you know?” Cain said, adding, “Him and, who’s the other one? Robert De Niro. I mean, who cares, guys? Really? Do your art. I try to keep politics out of my music.”

Cain went even further, directly addressing “The Boss” and his iconic 1984 anthem, “Born in the U.S.A.”

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“And Bruce, I mean, what the heck? I used to like him, and now he’s just annoying. He’s an annoying, bitter old man. I mean, stop it. Really. You were born in the U.S.A., weren’t you, dude? So act like it. But even that song, if you look at the lyrics, I mean, it’s a kind of a diss to our country,” he said.

Springsteen has frequently used his concerts and public appearances to speak out against the Trump administration and conservative policies. During a January concert in New Jersey, he quoted Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, telling the crowd that “ICE should get the f— out of Minneapolis.”

During a PBS special titled “Bruce Springsteen: Finding America in Song,” the singer defended his political commentary as patriotism.

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band perform during Land of Hope & Dreams American Tour at Target Center on March 31, 2026, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Kevin Mazur / Getty Images)

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“I believe in critical patriotism,” Springsteen said. “I believe that’s the definition of a patriot, you know, that you love your country so much that you are willing to look at it clearly, recognize its faults, encourage it to be a better place, and believe that you carry in your heart the country that is waiting.”

Cain, who is married to a senior advisor for Donald Trump, strongly disagreed with that philosophy. He argued that few musicians are truly releasing patriotic music anymore, pointing to himself and Kid Rock as rare exceptions.

“Me and Kid Rock, we’re probably on an island,” Cain said. “There’s a few of us, and I proudly stand there with my flag on that island. And if anybody’s got a problem with me, America and Jesus, then bring it.”

Kid Rock has similarly come out against Springsteen, calling him “just another person with TDS,” the acronym for “Trump Derangement Syndrome.”

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“To be in Europe talking junk about our president who gets up and works his ass off for this country, every day, and his administration is doing such great things… Thank God for him. But to do that in Europe… what a punk move,” Rock told “Fox & Friends” in May after Springsteen said the U.S. was in the hands of a “corrupt, incompetent, and treasonous administration” while in Berlin.

Musician Bruce Springsteen performs during the opening of the Obama Presidential Center in the Jackson Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, on Thursday, June 18, 2026. (Talia Sprague/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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Cain added that while his Christian faith is central to his life, he deliberately chooses not to lecture his audiences during Journey concerts, preferring to bring people together.

“Now, people say, ‘Well, you’re a Christian, and you’re conservative,’ and I’m like, ‘So what?’ I don’t preach it on stage. I don’t spend 10 minutes talking about it,” Cain said.

Fox News Digital reached out to Springsteen’s representatives for comment but did not immediately hear back.