Bono Praises ‘Vigilant’ Media, Takes Shot at Trump at New Jersey Concert

Irish rock band U2 put on two politically-charged performances in New Jersey this week, with frontman Bono urging the American media to stay “vigilant” and delivering a not-so-thinly-veiled critique of President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.

“Thank you for letting us into your country,” U2 frontman Bono told the sold-out crowd Wednesday night at MetLife Stadium, reports the New York Daily News, in a somewhat subtle swipe at the Trump administration’s newly-enacted travel ban.

Wednesday’s set was the first of two New Jersey-based stops on the North American leg of the “The Joshua Tree Tour.”

Later in the night, the band played a video of a girl from Syria.

“I am 15 years old…I would love to go to America, because it’s a very beautiful country,” the girl said. “And one can be happy there. It’s a civil country. It’s the land of dreams.”

On Thursday, Bono doubled down and told the packed audience that America remains a country of immigrants.

“This city, this country has given us Irish safety and sanctuary for hundreds of years,” Bono said. “We would like to say thank you.”

While President Trump’s name was never mentioned, the show’s tone appeared to reflect the Supreme Court’s decision this week to allow the president’s travel ban to be implemented, after it had been rejected several times by lower courts.

Bono also urged members of the American media to remain “vigilant.”

“I would like to thank all of those that keep us vigilant, like journalists, in this country,” Bono said.

U2’s last U.S. show on the “The Joshua Tree Tour” is scheduled for Saturday in Cleveland, with more dates scheduled in Europe later this summer.

 

Follow Jerome Hudson on Twitter @jeromeehudson