Claim:
After Donald Trump was reelected as president, singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen and film producer Robert De Niro made the decision to leave the United States.
Rating:
In November 2024, a rumor started circulating online that singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen and film producer Robert De Niro were planning to leave the United States after Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 presidential election.
On November 17, 2024, The Patriots Network, a Facebook page, shared a meme that featured a picture of Bruce Springsteen along with the text: “Bruce Springsteen is Leaving the US Alongwith [sic] Robert De Niro ‘No Respect For Us Here.'” As of now, the post has garnered approximately 16,000 reactions and 6,300 comments.
In a comment, an administrator for the page shared additional information about the claim. They referred to an article (archived) published on Nov. 18 on SpaceXMania.com, a website associated with the page.
On November 17, the Facebook page SpaceX Fanclub shared a meme featuring a collage of images of Bruce Springsteen and Robert De Niro. The text on the meme claimed that both Springsteen and De Niro were saying goodbye to the United States, citing a lack of respect. This post garnered approximately 5,000 reactions and 2,700 comments.
An administrator of the SpaceX Fanclub page commented on the post, providing a link to an article on Esspots.com. Although the article on Esspots.com is not exactly the same as the one on SpaceXMania.com, it shares many of the same details and is dated November 18th.
The Patriots Network and SpaceX Fanclub are popular Facebook pages.
Certain readers appeared to view the rumor as an accurate depiction of actual occurrences. As an illustration, a Facebook user reacted to the Patriots Network post by expressing,
“The only thing I ask is for their citizenship to be revoked and for them to never be allowed to reside in America again.” Another Facebook user responded to the SpaceX Fanclub post with a different sentiment, stating, “As if they are worthy of respect. Farewell. Don’t let the door hit you on your way out.”
There was no credible evidence to support the claim that either star had made any such announcement.
The rumor about Springsteen and De Niro leaving the country did not actually originate from reputable sources. Instead, it was spread by Facebook accounts called The Patriots Network and SpaceX Fanclub, which are known for their satirical content.
These accounts, along with their affiliated websites SpaceXMania.com and Esspots.com, clearly state that their content is meant to be humorous. In fact, The Patriots Network’s info section even acknowledges this.
The Patriots Network is a Network of Satire and Parody affiliated with SpacexMania.com
The info section of the SpaceX Fanclub states the following:
We post SATIRE, nothing on this page is real.
Both the SpaceXMania.com and Esspots.com articles also included disclaimers at the end.
NOTE: This is SATIRE, It’s Not True.
Weeks after Trump’s victory in the 2024 election, a fictional story started circulating. This story highlighted the public support given by both Springsteen and De Niro to Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign as the Democratic nominee.
Both stars have previously commented on the possibility of leaving the country due to political reasons. Last year, Springsteen humorously mentioned that he might consider moving to Australia if Trump won a second term in office.
(He later clarified that his comment was meant as a joke.) Similarly, in 2016, when asked whether he would leave the U.S. in the event of Trump’s presidency, De Niro responded with uncertainty, saying, “That’s a good question — I don’t know.”
Both Springsteen and De Niro did not make any comments regarding the 2024 election, according to the available evidence.
The Patriots Network and SpaceX Fanclub Facebook pages, as well as their associated websites, have a track record of fabricating stories to generate engagement and interaction.
Snopes has also fact-checked satirical claims about celebrities like Megan Rapinoe and Taylor Swift supposedly vowing to leave the United States due to the 2024 election results.
