During his 2024 presidential campaign, Donald Trump has come under fire a few times for using songs without artists' permission. Beyoncé threatened a cease and desist after the use of "Freedom" in a campaign video, while the Foo Fighters and Celine Dion also called for him to remove their music from his media.
Rufus Wainwright, 51, is the latest musician to speak out publicly against Trump's unpermitted use of his work. His 2001 cover of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" played for an extended period during a Trump campaign event held in Oaks, Pennsylvania, Monday evening.
Wainwright took to Instagram to share this charged reaction: "The song 'Hallelujah' by Leonard Cohen has become an anthem dedicated to peace, love and acceptance of the truth. I've been supremely honored over the years to be connected with this ode to tolerance. Witnessing Trump and his supporters commune with this music last night was the height of blasphemy."
Claiming to be "mortified" by the usage, he concluded the statement by confirming that the publishing company for the Cohen estate has sent the Trump campaign a cease and desist letter. While some interject that the statement will fall on deaf ears, many fans have come to support Wanwright's public outcry.
I have seen Rufus Wainwright perform at multiple Democratic fundraisers and I can guarantee you he did not authorize this https://t.co/GziBV4O3KW
— Tula 🪷 (@whorange) October 15, 2024
If I were Rufus Wainwright I'd be pissed. https://t.co/TvrE50RscO
— Kim Wexler's Ponytail 🐝💛🎗 (@MadisonKittay) October 15, 2024
A longtime Democrat who has actively participated in many political events, Wainwright also shared he will be using his dual Canadian and American citizenship to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris come November.
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