Leonard Cohen estate hits out at Donald Trump for unauthorized use of song at Freedom 250

Scarlett O'Toole Thu, June 25, 2026 at 6:14 AM UTC

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Leonard Cohen In Concert At The O2 Arena, London, Britain - 15 Sep 2013

Leonard Cohen's estate has issued a statement (Image: Getty)

The Leonard Cohen estate has issued a furious warning to Donald Trump.

President Trump, 80, headlined Wednesday's Freedom 250 rally on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Ahead of the June 24 rally, the Cohen estate learned of the president's plans to have Christopher Macchio and the U.S. Marine Band perform the singer's 1984 song Hallelujah.

In response, they issued a statement warning the president the use of the song was not authorized. The Freedom 250 rally featured a number of line-up changes after artists pulled out over Trump's involvement.

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"The Leonard Cohen Estate has learned that the song 'Hallelujah' is to be performed at a Donald Trump rally on June 24," the singer's estate wrote on Facebook ahead of the rally.

They added, "This use is not authorized, and the Estate does not support or approve of this or any similar usage."

Donald Trump kicked off the Freedom 250 rally (Image: Getty)

Mocking the president's typical Truth Social sign-off, the Cohen estate's statement concluded, "Thank you for your attention to this matter."

Trump revealed his plans to have Hallelujah sung at the Freedom 250 rally almost three weeks ago when he first announced the opening of the event would feature musicians Lee Greenwood and Christopher Macchio.

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Despite the threat from the Cohen estate, Christopher Macchio and the U.S. Marine Band performed Hallelujah for the crowd. It's the second time the musician has performed his rendition of the song, with the first being at President Trump's return to Butler, Pennsylvania, in October 2024.

The performance was broadcast live on Fox News and viewers watching at home were divided. Some criticized Christopher, with one person posting on X, "Great voice, but the emotional aspects of the song are lost."

Another furious critic pointed out, "THEY WERE TOLD BY THE ESTATE NOT TO USE LEONARD'S SONG." A third person trolled, "WEAK: Maga 250 Losers."

However, others loved the performance, with a fan commenting, "Wow. He transitions octaves spot on and effortlessly." Another gushed, "That there is an angel singing!"

"Wow.. what a voice!" a third person echoed, as someone else posted on X, "Amazing just amazing."

Trump kicked off the opening ceremony for the Great American State Fair by declaring, "I am thrilled to declare that America is back."

He continued, "As you know very well, a short time ago we were a dead country. We were dead. Now we're the hottest country anywhere in the world. We're respected by everybody. Nobody's laughing at us any more."

He then listed all of his victories, including a preliminary deal to end the war in Iran and a crackdown on immigration.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”