_Stephen Bloch_

After sitting down recently for an in-depth conversation with Vanity Fair, Bruce Springsteen has provided another interview in the next issue of Rolling Stone, a excerpt of which was released today and reveals The Boss’ take on the current volatile political climate in the country.

“The republic is under siege by a moron, basically,” Springsteen says when asked about his feelings on “the Trump phenomenon.” “The whole thing is tragic. Without overstating it, it’s a tragedy for our democracy.”

The iconic musician goes on to decry Trump’s siding with the ideals of “nationalism and the alt-right movement” and notes that he sees the country’s partial embracing of the presidential candidate as a result of “the deindustrialization and globalization” that the U.S. has undergone in the past several decades. “Fallacious answers to very complex problems,” he sums up, referring to Trump’s campaign. “And that can be very appealing.”

Springsteen also touches on his choice to not be involved with the election so far but voices support for Hillary Clinton and says he’s proud of his past contributions to the political conversation, adding that it has its limits: “I don’t think people go to musicians for their political points of view,” he says. “I think your political point of view is circumstances and then how you were nurtured and brought up. But it’s worth giving a shot when it’s the only thing you have.”