Leonard Cohen's Estate has criticized Donald Trump after the late singer's iconic song Hallelujah was played at one of the president's rallies without permission.
The beloved folk classic accompanied a B 2 Bomber flyover during the Great American State Fair on Tuesday (24.06.26), an event held to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
In response, the estate shared a statement on social media that read: “The Leonard Cohen Estate has learned that the song Hallelujah is to be performed at a Donald Trump rally on June 24.
“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."
This is not the first time the song has become part of a political dispute. In 2024, Rufus Wainwright's version of Hallelujah was also played at a Trump rally without authorization.
Reacting at the time, he said: “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.”
A number of artists have previously objected to their music being used by Trump's administration without their approval.
Ariana Grande was among the latest to respond after her song Bye appeared in a TikTok video promoting immigration arrests in the United States.
The video, which was shared earlier this month, showed ICE agents detaining and handcuffing people while Ariana's track played in the background.
Its caption read: “Bye-bye. President Trump has delivered the most secure border in history.”
Ariana responded in a comment that was later deleted, writing: “Please do not ever use my music in relation to this barbaric, inhumane, heinous nonsense. F*** ICE.”
Her representatives later confirmed to Variety that the comment was authentic, even though it has since been removed from public view.
The TikTok video has also had its audio removed and now displays the message: “This sound isn’t available.”
A spokesperson for the White House defended the post, saying: “What’s actually barbaric, inhumane, and heinous are the criminal illegal aliens who have injured and murdered innocent American citizens.”
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