NEWSDonald Trump Rally Uses 'Hallelujah' Despite Leonard Cohen Estate's Objection
Leonard Cohen's ‘Hallelujah’ was performed at Donald Trump's June 24 rally.
June 30 2026, Published 7:31 a.m. ET
Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” has been performed in churches, concert halls, films and memorials, but its performance at a June 24 rally headlined by President Donald Trump has drawn objections from the late singer’s estate.
In a Facebook post hours before the event, Cohen’s estate said it did not approve the planned use of the 1984 song at Trump’s Freedom 250 rally in Washington, where Lee Greenwood and Christopher Macchio were scheduled to perform to open the Great American State Fair. Macchio went ahead with “Hallelujah” before a B2 bomber flyover.
The Estate Pushes Back
The late singer's estate objected to the use of the song.
“The Leonard Cohen Estate has learned that the song ‘Hallelujah’ is to be performed at a Donald Trump rally on June 24,” the post read. “This use is not authorized, and the Estate does not support or approve of this or any similar usage. Thank you for your attention to this matter.”
Christopher Macchio performed the song despite the objection.
Cohen, the Canadian singer-songwriter behind “Suzanne,” “Bird on the Wire” and “Hallelujah,” died in November 2016 at 82. “Hallelujah” has since become one of his most widely recognized songs, covered by generations of artists and often treated as a work of spiritual longing rather than campaign-stage spectacle.
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Why This Song Hit Differently
Dr. Lillian Glass questioned the song's political use.
Media analyst Dr. Lillian Glass said the objection reflects the gap between Cohen’s artistic identity and the political setting.
“This is a spiritual hymn and Cohen would have hated it to be political as he was anything but political,” she said. “He was all about love and introspection and it would be a terrible fit to include his song in any political rally. It would tarnish his image and his brand.”
The objection also came during an event already facing entertainment-industry friction. Several performers, including Martina McBride, The Commodores, Young MC and Bret Michaels, pulled out after learning of the event’s political nature, leaving Greenwood, Macchio, Flo Rida, Vanilla Ice and Alexis Wilkins, the girlfriend of FBI Director Kash Patel, on the lineup.
Donald Trump’s Music Problem
The administration has repeatedly faced complaints over unauthorized music use.
Trump, his campaigns and his administration have repeatedly drawn complaints from artists or estates over unauthorized music use. Neil Young famously objected to “Keep On Rockin In The Free World” being played at a July 4 event at Mount Rushmore.
More recently, Sabrina Carpenter criticized the administration for using one of her songs in an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) video, writing, “This video is evil and disgusting. Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda.”
Ariana Grande also responded to a White House TikTok on immigration, writing, “Please do not ever use my music in relation to this barbaric, inhumane, heinous nonsense.“ She added: “F--- ICE.”
