On Monday, Donald Trump turned a town hall Q&A into a music-listening session, swaying on stage for over 30 minutes to some of his favorite songs. The playlist included Leonard Cohen‘s “Hallelujah,” famously covered by Rufus Wainwright in the film “Shrek.”
However, Wainwright and Cohen’s estate have expressed their disapproval of Trump’s use of the song. Wainwright took to social media, stating that witnessing Trump and his supporters engage with this music was, in his words, “the height of blasphemy.”
As a result, the publishing company representing Cohen’s estate has sent a cease and desist letter to the Trump campaign. “Hallelujah,” originally released by Cohen in 1984, has garnered many notable covers, particularly by Wainwright and the late Jeff Buckley.
The Trump campaign, along with representatives for Wainwright and Cohen’s estate, did not respond immediately to requests for comments.
This disagreement over “Hallelujah” is the latest in a string of conflicts between musicians and the Trump campaign, which has faced multiple requests to refrain from using artists’ songs during events. Prominent artists like Celine Dion and Queen have publicly voiced their disapproval. Some artists have objected to their music accompanying political events, while others, including Wainwright, have directly linked their music to Trump’s actions.
“The song ‘Hallelujah’ by Leonard Cohen has become an anthem dedicated to peace, love, and acceptance of the truth,” Wainwright remarked. He expressed that he was “mortified” to hear the song played at the Trump event, hoping that perhaps Trump might find some remorse upon truly listening to the lyrics of “Cohen’s masterpiece.”
Wainwright also mentioned his support for Vice President Kamala Harris in the upcoming presidential election.
During the town hall event in Oaks, Pennsylvania, approximately 20 miles outside Philadelphia, Trump played several other recordings after two attendees required medical attention. The songs included “It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World” by James Brown, “An American Trilogy” by Elvis Presley, and “Nothing Compares 2 U,” by the late Sinéad O’Connor.
Musicians Objecting to Trump’s Use of Their Music
Wainwright joins a growing list of musicians asking the Trump campaign to stop using their songs. Notable artists include:
- Celine Dion, whose representatives stated in August that Trump’s use of her song “My Heart Will Go On” was unauthorized.
- The Foo Fighters, who objected in August to Trump playing “My Hero” when introducing Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at an Arizona rally, clarifying that they had not granted permission for its use.
- Isaac Hayes, with a federal judge ruling last month that Trump and his campaign must cease using the song “Hold On, I’m Coming” while litigation regarding the song’s use is pursued by the family of one of its co-writers.
- The White Stripes, who filed a lawsuit in September against Trump over the unauthorized use of their song “Seven Nation Army” in a social media video.
As this issue continues to unfold, we welcome your thoughts. What do you think about musicians’ rights regarding their music being used in political contexts? Join the discussion in the comments!