Bruce Springsteen has released a new song Wednesday denouncing “Trump’s federal thugs.” The chief executive of OpenAI Sam Altman told employees that “what’s happening at ICE is going too far,” referring to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. And icon of life Martha Stewart lamenting that “we may be attacked and even killed.”

“Things must and must change quickly and peacefully,” Stewart wrote to his 2.9 million Instagram followers this week.

More than a year into his second term, Trump is facing a broad cultural revolt that threatens to undermine his signature national priorities, the Republican Party’s hold on power and his own political strength before the midterm elections.

Trump, a former reality television star often attuned to swings in public opinion, tried to shift the conversation this week by sending border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota. to replace Greg Bovinoa Border Patrol commander who became lightning.

But it is not clear whether the move change anything on earth.

Thousands of federal agents remain in Minnesota, where two US citizens have been killed and communities feel besieged by Trump’s outburst. Meanwhile, operations are also expanding in Maine.

White House ‘scared’

Republican strategist Doug Heye said it was too early to tell if Trump’s attempt to control the fallout would work. He has communicated with Republican leaders across Washington in recent days worried that the escalating situation could jeopardize control of Congress in this fall’s midterm elections.

“It’s very clear that the administration is scared,” Heye said.

And while some in the party may be worried, Trump’s Make America Great Again base remains largely united behind him and the immigration crackdown he promised repeatedly on the campaign trail. They pushed the president not to back down.

“It’s time for President Trump to step up mass deportations,” Laura Loomer, a Trump loyalist who has the president’s ear, told The Associated Press. “And if Minnesota is any barometer, it’s time for a focus on deporting as many Muslims as possible.”

Such advice runs counter to a growing faction of prominent voices throughout American culture.

Who is speaking?

Joe Rogana leading podcast host who endorsed Trump during his comeback campaign, said he sympathized with concerns about the tactics of immigration agents.

“Are we really going to be the Gestapo?” Rogan said. “‘Where are your papers?’ Is that what we’ve come to?”

At the end of the week, more than 60 corporate executives, including the leaders of Batas, Best Buy and UnitedHealth, released a public letter calling for de-escalation compliance the death of Alex Prettia 37-year-old Veterans Affairs nurse who was fatally shot during a confrontation with federal agents.

The outcry grew louder as the week went on.

Apple CEO Tim Cook on Tuesday issued a memo to employees saying he was “saddened by the events in Minneapolis.”

“I believe America is strongest when we live by the highest values, when we treat everyone with dignity and respect no matter who they are or where they come from, and when we embrace our shared humanity,” Cook wrote in the memo, first reported by Bloomberg News.

Tech billionaire and venture capitalist Vinod Khosla used stronger language on social media to condemn “macho ICE vigilantes running around.”

Jason Calacanis, a prominent tech podcaster, on Wednesday warned of dire consequences for Trump if he doesn’t make sweeping changes to the people who are driving the immigration boom.

“President Trump needs to replace them all and reverse his plummeting ratings, or the entire Trump 2.0 agenda is over,” Calacanis wrote in his 1 million X followers. “America must put this dark and disgusting chapter behind us and unite behind a crisper immigration policy.”

Actors and musicians speak

More anger comes from the entertainment industry, which is often seen as a liberal bastion.

Springsteen dropped his new song, “The Streets of Minneapolis,” on Wednesday. The popular musician directly addressed Pretti’s death.

“Federal thugs hit Trump in the face and in his chest. Then we heard gunshots. And Alex Pretti was laying in the snow, dead,” Springsteen sang.

Other actors and entertainers who have spoken in recent days include Natalie Portman, Elijah Wood, Olivia Rodrigo and Billie Eilish. Actor Mark Ruffalo described Pretti’s death as a “cold-blooded murder”.

The sports world is starting to get involved again.

Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch called the shootings “senseless” and expressed support for the protesters. So is superstar NBA player Steph Curry.

“There are a lot of changes that need to happen,” said Curry, who plays for the Golden State Warriors, to reporters this week. He said he was glued to the news about the latest shooting in Minnesota.

Guerschon Yabusele, of the New York Knicks, continued the day after Pretti’s shooting.

“I cannot remain silent. What is happening is incomprehensible,” he wrote in X. “We are talking about murders here, these are serious things. The situation must change, the government must stop in this way. I stand with Minnesota.”

Trump may get the message

Trump appears to have softened his tone on immigration — at least by his standards.

“We’re going to de-escalate a little,” he said in a Tuesday interview Fox news He also reprimanded Bovino, whom he removed from his post.

“Bovino is very good, but he’s a pretty free-spirited kind of guy,” he said. “In some cases, that’s good. Maybe it’s not good here.”

But Trump repeated the characterization that he was downplaying his operations in Minnesota. And in a social media post, he warned Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey that he was “PLAYING WITH FIRE” by refusing to enforce federal immigration laws.

Even before Pretti’s death on Saturday, public opinion had already turned against Trump on immigration, which was one of his strongest issues at the start of his second term.

Only 38% of US adults approve of how Trump is handling immigration, down from 49% in March. This is according to a AP-NORC poll conducted January 8-11shortly after the first shooting death of a US citizen in Minnesota.

There are also some signs that Trump’s approval of immigration may rub off on Republicans. The president’s approval rating among self-described Republicans fell from 88% in March to 76% in the January AP-NORC poll.

A separate Fox News poll, conducted Friday through Monday, found that 59% of voters described ICE as “too aggressive,” a 10-point increase since July.

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AP writer Linley Sanders in Washington contributed.