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2w ago

Cohen Estate Says Use of ‘Hallelujah’ Was Unauthorized and the Song Was Still Sung at Trump Rally

The estate’s preemptive rebuke underscores recurring clashes over artists’ control of music at President Trump’s political events.

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Leonard Cohen, Saenger, Songwriter, Dichter, Kanada, 2013, Auftritt, 17.07.2013, O2 World, Berlin, Deutschland Leonard Cohen, Singer, Songwriter, Poet, Canada, performs on July 17, 2013, at O2 World, Berlin, Germany
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Overview

  • The Leonard Cohen Estate released a public statement on June 24 saying the planned use of “Hallelujah” at the Freedom 250 kickoff was not authorized and the estate did not approve the performance.
  • Despite the estate’s objection, tenor Christopher Macchio and Marine Band Master Gunnery Sgt. Kevin Bennear performed the song on the National Mall before President Donald Trump spoke, with a B-2 bomber flyover drawing extra attention.
  • A wave of earlier withdrawals by billed acts forced organizers to recast the event with military bands and pro-Trump performers, a shift that preceded the National Mall rally and shaped its program.
  • Reporting shows no court order or confirmed legal block stopped the rendition, highlighting how public disavowals from estates do not always prevent disputed uses of widely covered songs.
  • The episode follows a pattern of artists and estates resisting political use of music — including prior Cohen Estate objections in 2020 — and could lead to more public refusals and closer scrutiny of licensing at political events.