Musician Rufus Wainwright blasted former President Donald Trump for playing his cover of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" at a recent MAGA rally in Pennsylvania, saying in a statement that he was "mortified" and telling MSNBC's Stephanie Ruhle that Trump's use of it was "blasphemous."
Trump was in Oaks, Pennsylvania, for a town hall event aimed at highlighting his policy positions and contrasting them with those of his opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris. However, the evening took an odd turn when two attendees experienced medical issues.
Instead of resuming after paramedics provided assistance, Trump directed his team to play music from a playlist he personally curated, which he frequently uses at Mar-a-Lago dinners. What followed was over 30 minutes of Trump swaying on stage, occasionally breaking into his signature two-handed dance, as songs like Wainwright's cover of "Hallelujah" played in the background.
During his MSNBC appearance, Wainwright said that he was "mortified" that the song was played at the event, noting that "the good in me hopes that perhaps in inhabiting and really listening to the lyrics of Cohen's masterpiece, Donald Trump just might experience a hint of remorse over what he's caused."
He said:
"When I watched [the footage] and realized what was happening, I was dumbfounded, horrified because it was like nothing I'd ever seen before in my life. ... I've sung 'Hallelujah' for many, many years and it is turning out to be one of the greatest songs ever written about peace, acceptance, and the truth. It has a very spiritual meaning."
"For him to use it, it was blasphemous. ... I did see a broken man up there who needs help and is expressing some kind of yearning for redemption."
Wainwright said he'd not received a response from the Trump campaign and nonetheless laughed, saying the story would serve as interesting "banter" at events.
He added:
"I've sung [the song] all over the world and in America I've sung it to Republicans and Democrats. If this is a moment when we can stop and try to come together, I know it seems ridiculous at this point but I want to be part of the solution."
"That being said, if this turns out to be one of the craziest moments where people can really look at Trump and see how insane he is and it helps bring him down, I would be really happy to be a part of that."
You can hear what he said in the video below.
- YouTubewww.youtube.com
Many joined Wainwright and denounced Trump's use of the song.
Multiple musicians have spoken out over the unauthorized use of their songs during Trump rallies.
Over the summer, singer Celine Dion called out Trump's campaign for their unauthorized use of "My Heart Will Go On" from the Academy Award-winning blockbuster Titanic at a rally in Montana. Dion's management team also jabbed Trump for using a song associated with a movie about a sinking ship.
Earlier this year, the estate of the late Sinéad O'Connor, along with her label Chrysalis Records, issued a statement condemning Trump's use of the late singer's iconic rendition of "Nothing Compares 2 U" during campaign rallies in Maryland and North Carolina.
The statement released to Variety expressed "outrage" at the unauthorized use of her song by Trump, whom O'Connor had referred to as a "biblical devil" and a "Satanist" in a 2020 interview with Hot Press. Her estate said it is "no exaggeration to say that Sinéad would have been disgusted, hurt, and insulted to have her work misrepresented in this way."
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