Bruce Springsteen’s former drummer is hitting back at the New York Post after it published a story where he reportedly suggested that his former “Boss” needs to respect President Donald Trump.
Vini Lopez, who manned the skins for Springsteen between 1968 and 1974, was the subject of a Post article published Sunday with the headline, “Ex-Longtime Springsteen Drummer Vini Lopez Says Woke Boss Should Respect Trump.”
Although Springsteen is currently lashing out at Trump on his current tour, the article makes it sound as if Lopez has a different opinion of the president.
At one point, he is quoted as saying, “You gotta have respect for the president,” and “Trump is the president of the United States — everyone should have respect for him.”
Lopez is also quoted as saying that if he were standing next to Trump, he would “have mucho respect for the man,” but added with a chuckle that he “wouldn’t talk to him about anything that’s going on” politically.
He also claimed that he met Trump before he was president while caddying at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, and claimed he was very nice and inquisitive.
Lopez also claimed Trump told him to tell Springsteen, “I’m his biggest fan.”
But on Monday, Lopez took to social media to criticize the article, claiming he was misquoted and misrepresented.
“If you read that NY Post thing I want you to know that first of all that Headline is a pure Lie. I never said that,” he said on Facebook.
Lopez insisted he “would never call Bruce woke,” and insisted he “made it clear to her that I stand with Bruce.”
He also said that he told the reporter of the Post piece that he respects “the office of the Presidentcy [sic].! NOT TRUMP..!! ”
“That article sucks.!” he said. “I’ll never trust anyone again when talking to them.!”
JS reached out to the author of the Post article for comment about Lopez’s reaction, but no one immediately responded.
Still, Springsteen and Trump have both made their mutual animosity clear.
Springsteen has been calling out Trump since January, when he released a song, “Streets of Minneapolis,” in reaction to the fatal crackdown on immigration in the city that resulted in the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good.
Trump tried to get even earlier this month by calling Springsteen a “bad” and “very boring singer,” who “looks like a dried up prune,” on his Truth Social platform.
