Representatives for Leonard Cohen’s estate have objected to the use of the song Hallelujah at a rally hosted by U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday night.
At the opening ceremony for the Great American State Fair staged at the National Mall in Washington D.C., the American leader welcomed guests to the show, which was held as part of a series of events celebrating 250 years of the United States.
But before the spectacle, a spokesperson for the late Cohen’s estate issued a statement via Instagram in which they slammed organisers for plans to include a performance of the 1984 classic track.
“The Leonard Cohen Estate has learned that the song Hallelujah is to be performed at a Donald Trump rally on June 24,” they declared. “This use is not authorized, and the Estate does not support or approve of this or any similar usage.”
To conclude, the representative added a nod to one of Trump’s regular social media sign-offs, noting: “Thank you for your attention to this matter.”
The rally included military flyovers, ceremonial presentations, performances by The President’s Own United States Marine Band, the U.S. Army Band Pershing’s Own, Armed Forces choirs, and special musical performances by Lee Greenwood and Christopher Macchio.
And according to a video posted on X, Trump and his team at the White House ignored the executors of Cohen’s estate, as it appeared Macchio sang Hallelujah alongside the Marine Band’s Master Gunnery Sgt. Kevin Bennear, with a B-2 Bomber flyover at the end.
Representatives for Canadian artist Cohen, who died at the age of 82 in 2016, have not yet commented further.
After various artists pulled out of the original Freedom 250 concerts earlier this month, Trump posted a message via his Truth Social account in which he promised the “greatest music ever played” at the show.
“We will have the fabulous Lee Greenwood introducing me with what has turned out to be one of the Greatest Hits of All Time, GOD BLESS THE U.S.A., and the amazing Christopher Macchio, who will sing Nessun Dorma, Hallelujah, Ave Maria, God Bless America, and others – Not since the legendary Luciano Pavarotti has there been such a voice!” the 80-year-old wrote at the time.
