CNN
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Musician Rufus Wainwright is speaking out against Donald Trump’s presidential campaign using his famous cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” at a recent event.

Wainwright shared a statement on his verified Instagram referencing a town hall held by the campaign on Monday in Oaks, Pennsylvania, where music — including his 2001 cover of “Hallelujah” — was played for an extended period of time.

In the caption of his Tuesday post, Wainwright wrote: “Leonard Cohen’s song ‘Hallelujah’ has become an anthem dedicated to peace, love and acceptance of the truth. Over the years I have been extremely honored to be associated with this ode to tolerance. It was the height of blasphemy to see Trump and his supporters interact with this music last night.”

Wainwright, who has dual Canadian and American citizenship, said he supports Vice President Kamala Harris in the presidential race.

Wainwright continued to say that he does not condone the use of the song in any way and “was mortified, but the good part of me hopes that perhaps by inhabiting and really listening to the lyrics of Cohen’s masterpiece, Donald Trump might experience a tinge of remorse.” what he caused. I’m not holding my breath.”

According to the statement, the Cohen estate’s publishing company has sent the Trump campaign a cease and desist letter.

CNN has contacted the Cohen estate and Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung for comment.

This isn’t the first time the Trump campaign has used the song. It is also not the first time that the estate of Cohen, who died in 2016, has objected to this use.

In 2020, “Hallelujah” was played repeatedly during the final night of the Republican National Convention, and Cohen’s estate said at the time that it had denied permission.

“We are surprised and dismayed that the RNC would move forward knowing that the Cohen Estate had specifically denied the RNC’s use request, and their rather brazen attempt to use ‘Hallelujah,’ one of the most important songs in history, in such a way.” to be politicized and exploited in a blatant way. Cohen song catalog,” Michelle L. Rice, legal representative of the Cohen estate, said in a statement shared with CBS News at the time.

The estate of Wainwright and Cohen are also not the first to have problems with the Trump campaign playing their music. From Celine Dion and the Foo Fighters to the estate of Bruce Springsteen and Prince, countless artists over the years have objected to the Trump campaign’s use of their music.