EXCLUSIVE: Bono Ignites Donald Trump Feud With Huge Dig at President's Team
Bono has reignited tensions with Donald Trump after taking a swipe at his administration.
Nov. 7 2026, Published 10:30 a.m. ET
Bono has launched a blistering attack on Donald Trump's administration, suggesting the US president's political approach is veering towards fascism and admitting he feels powerless to influence his White House team.
RadarOnline.com can reveal the 66-year-old U2 frontman made the comments during an interview in the UK, explaining why he has resisted opportunities to engage with Trump's administration despite decades of campaigning alongside Republican politicians.
Bono Takes Aim at Trump's Administration
Bono criticized Donald Trump's administration during a revealing UK interview.
The Irish firebrand, who previously worked with former President George W. Bush and Republican Senator Jesse Helms on international debt relief and HIV/AIDS funding, believes the current political climate presents an entirely different challenge.
Bono said: "It's a new world. This is different. There's a whiff, there's a honk, and we're all just trying to discern it."
He added: "There's a brand new dance and we do know its name. It's a little … fascistic. And it needs a different response."
The musician's remarks underline his growing frustration with Trump's administration, particularly its approach to international humanitarian assistance and programs supporting vulnerable communities in developing countries.
Why Bono Won't Negotiate With Trump
Bono previously worked with George W. Bush on international debt relief.
Although Bono has received invitations to the White House, he acknowledged he lacks confidence in his ability to persuade the president's advisers to reconsider their policies.
He said: "[With the Trump administration], I have been invited, but I know I'm not up to that, I don't have the ability to negotiate [with them], it's too much."
Bono added: "[I don't have] a plan, a strategy for successful action, a particular original idea I could get past them. Maybe just leave that to someone else."
His reluctance represents a significant departure from the diplomatic approach that helped establish him as one of the music industry's most prominent political campaigners.
During Bush's presidency, Bono worked across party lines to secure support for debt cancellation and initiatives designed to tackle the AIDS epidemic in Africa.
U2 Bandmate Reveals Bono's Shock
The singer said he had received invitations to meet with Trump's administration.
However, funding disruptions under Trump's administration last year reportedly left the singer devastated, particularly because they affected an HIV/AIDS initiative he had helped establish.
His U2 bandmate Larry Mullen Jr., 65, described the emotional impact of those decisions on the musician.
Mullen said: "When money was taken away from Aids, from people in Africa, I think to be honest you were in a state of complete shock and dismay at what you were seeing."
He added: "And these things take enormous amounts of time and energy and you can't do everything, you can only do a certain amount."
Bono also questioned whether traditional political engagement remains effective when confronting an administration whose priorities differ so sharply from his own.
He suggested successful advocacy requires both personal conviction and a realistic belief that meaningful change can be achieved through negotiation.
Bono's Fears Over Humanity's Future
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U2 became a global rock powerhouse with more than 170 million records sold.
Beyond his criticism of Trump, the singer expressed broader concerns about humanity's ability to confront increasingly interconnected global threats.
He recalled discussing the future with Nobel Prize-winning artificial intelligence researcher Demis Hassabis, 50, whose warnings about international cooperation had reinforced his anxieties.
Bono said Hassabis had emphasized the urgent need for profound changes in human behavior and greater collaboration between nations to address challenges including climate change.
Bono has enjoyed extraordinary global success as the frontman of Irish rock outfit U2, selling more than 170 million records worldwide.
Formed in Dublin in 1976, the group has won 22 Grammy Awards and released landmark albums including The Joshua Tree, Achtung Baby and The Unforgettable Fire.
Known for hits including With or Without You and One, Bono has also become an influential campaigner for humanitarian causes worldwide.
