Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder has rallied around his friend and fellow musician Bruce Springsteen amid ongoing threats directed at the rocker by Donald Trump.
Vedder delivered a brief but passionate speech during a Pearl Jam concert in Pittsburgh, saying that Trump's response to Springsteen "had nothing to do with the issues".
"They didn't talk about one of those issues, they didn't have a conversation about one of those issues. They didn't debate any one of those issues. All that we heard were personal attacks and threats that nobody else should try to use their microphones or voice in public, or they'll be shut down."
"Now that's not allowed in this country that we call America," Vedder continued.
"Part of free speech is open discussion. Part of democracy is healthy public discourse. The name-calling is so beneath us. Bruce has always been as pro-American with his values and liberty, and his justice has always remained intact. And I'm saying this now to be sure this freedom to speak will still exist in a year or two when we come back to this microphone."
Springsteen has drawn Trump's ire after delivering a series of scathing speeches against him and his administration during his Land of Hope and Dreams Tour in Europe.
In response, Trump has threatened to block Springsteen's re-entry into the country and launch an investigation into his support of Kamala Harris.
