Journey keyboardist Jonathan Cain has publicly criticised Bruce Springsteen, telling him to "shut up" over his outspoken political views. Speaking on The Complete Disaster Network podcast, Cain, a self-described "diehard conservative", said celebrities such as Springsteen and Robert De Niro should stick to their art rather than voicing political opinions, calling it "a bad look" for public figures to do so.

Cain went further, describing Springsteen as an "annoying, bitter old man" and suggesting his song "Born in the USA" is actually critical of the country despite its patriotic title. By contrast, Cain said he tries to keep politics out of his own music to avoid dividing Journey's fanbase, though he made an exception for his song "The Winds of Freedom: A Salute to America", released to mark America's 250th anniversary. He described himself as a devout Christian and patriot, comparing himself to musician Kid Rock as one of a small number of outspoken conservatives in rock music.