Musician Rufus Wainwright said he was “mortified” that former President Donald Trump used his cover of the Leonard Cohen song “Hallelujah” at a bizarre campaign rally on Monday.
“The song ‘Hallelujah’ by Leonard Cohen has become an anthem dedicated to peace, love and acceptance of the truth,” Wainwright said in a statement on Tuesday. “I’ve been supremely honoured 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.”
Trump played Wainwright’s cover during a town hall in Pennsylvania, in which the Republican presidential nominee bizarrely stood around for nearly 40 minutes while he listened to music instead of answering questions.
“Turn it up. Great song,” Trump told supporters when Wainwright’s cover of “Hallelujah” played from the speakers.
The song, written by Cohen in 1984, has become a cult classic over the years. Along with Wainwright’s 2001 cover that was featured on the “Shrek” soundtrack, musician Jeff Buckley famously covered the song on his 1994 album, “Grace.”
On Monday, the Trump campaign received a cease-and-desist letter from the Cohen estate, Rolling Stone reported.
During his town hall, Trump also played songs from Sinead O’Connor, Elvis Presley and Guns N’ Roses. Axl Rose, frontman for Guns N’ Roses, previously called the Trump campaign “shitbags” for playing the band’s 1987 hit, “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” at a 2018 rally.
Despite his “Hallelujah” cover being played at the town hall, Wainwright said in his statement that Trump listening to the song might give him “a hint of remorse over what he’s caused.”
“I’m not holding my breath,” the artist added.