According to The Independent, the former US president and the first lady are due to arrive in the UK today (Tuesday, September 16). Their itinerary begins at Windsor Castle, where they will be hosted by King Charles and given a ceremonial welcome. On Thursday, September 18, they are scheduled to visit Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and his wife at Chequers, the official country residence in Buckinghamshire.

The trip has sparked widespread backlash, with a series of protests organised throughout the week. The Stop Trump Coalition will demonstrate on Windsor High Street this evening, while Wednesday, September 17, will see a large-scale march through central London, culminating in a mass rally at Parliament Square.

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Among those throwing their weight behind the protests is Billy Bragg, who took to social media to promote the central London gathering and explain why he believes the visit represents a “humiliation” for the UK. Sharing a poster for the ‘National Demonstration Against Trump’s State Visit,’ he urged people to assemble tomorrow at Portland Place at 2pm before joining the rally at 5pm.

In his caption, Bragg wrote: “Donald Trump’s visit to the UK this week is a moment of national humiliation. He will regard the red carpet rolled out for him as an act of fealty that gives him the right to punish the UK should we do anything that displeases him.”

 

 

 

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A post shared by Billy Bragg (@billybraggofficial)

He continued: “Sucking up to bullies never pays off. They sense weakness and revel in exploiting it. This Wednesday, we have a chance to show not just that Trump is not welcome, but also that we reject the Trumpification of UK politics. I’ll be playing some songs at the Stop Trump rally in Parliament Square. Hope to see you there.”

Bragg has long been a prominent voice in British politics, frequently using his platform to engage with social and political issues. He was outspoken in his criticism of the Conservative Party during the 2024 general election and earlier this year released the single ‘Hundred Year Hunger’, expressing solidarity with Palestine and voicing support for Irish rap group Kneecap.

As Trump’s visit draws protestors to the streets, Bragg’s involvement underscores the enduring role of music and cultural figures in amplifying dissent. His presence at the rally not only reinforces his reputation as an artist-activist but also highlights the wider resistance among many in the UK who are determined to show Trump is not welcome.

Trump announced on Thursday (Feb 27) that his administration intends to cut over 90% of the USAID (US Agency for International Development) foreign aid contracts – Associated Press have estimated that $60billion (£48billion) of US international aid spending will be axed.

On Instagram, the pop legend said the “abrupt action” could have devastating effects on the response to HIV and set back years of hard work.

A statement from The Elton John Aids Foundation, one of the world’s leading independent AIDS/HIV charities, said: “We are gravely concerned about the decision by the U.S. Administration to cut more than 90% of contracts held by USAID, many of which they had already deemed “lifesaving”. This abrupt action could have devastating effects on the HIV response and put years of progress in jeopardy.”

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“Millions of people are alive today thanks to the generosity of the American people and because of effective programs like PEPFAR. Today they are unsure of when, or even if they will get the medicine they need to stay alive.”

PEPFAR is the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, established by George W. Bush in 2003. It provides access to antiretroviral treatment, helping those living with HIV to manage the virus and stay alive.

The statement continued: “The Elton John AIDS Foundation is working with our 90+ partners to ensure they can continue to provide lifesaving HIV services, and we are launching an urgent appeal, The Rocket Response Fund, to help cover immediate gaps in essential care.”

It then mentioned hosting its 33^rd Academy Award Viewing Party, and gave a plea for the US government to reconsider the effect of their cuts: “With much uncertainty surrounding the aid cuts at home and abroad, we urge the U.S government to continue the lifesaving work of bipartisan programs like PEPFAR.”

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) was first established in the 1960’s to organize humanitarian aid programmes on behalf of the US government. It takes on a variety of tasks, providing humanitarian assistance and relief during global conflicts and emergencies such as famines.

It has bases in over 60 countries, employing around 10,000 people, mainly overseas. Most of its work on the ground is carried out by other organizations that are contracted and funded by the USAID.

According to a report by the Congressional Research Service, the country that received the most USAID funding during the 2023 fiscal year was Ukraine during its ongoing war with Russia. Other aid has been sent to Gaza during the conflict between Israel and Hamas, as well as Ethiopia, Jordan, The Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia and Yemen.

Trump has always been a vocal critic of overseas spending, claiming that it’s not a valuable use of taxpayer money, particularly the USAID.

Sir Elton has never given outright condemnation or support to Trump politically. He did find humour in his referring to Kim Jong Un as “little rocket man”, referencing one of the popstars signature hits.

In an interview with Variety, he said: “I just thought, ‘Good on you, Donald.’ … Donald’s always been a fan of mine, and he’s been to my concerts many, many times. I’ve always been friendly toward him, and I thank him for his support. When he did that, I just thought it was hilarious. It made me laugh,”

But John may have alluded to being at odds with Trump’s divisive politics in the same interview, speaking just before the 2024 election: “I just want people to vote for things that are just, things that are important to people: the right to choose, the right to be who you are, and not let anybody else tell you who to be. And that goes all the way up to the Supreme Court.”

“I just hope that people make the right decision to see what the future is going to be,” he added. “Is it going to be fire and brimstone … or are we going to have a much calmer, a much safer place? People can vote for who they like, but as far as I’m concerned, I love love. And I’m a loving person, and I want that to come back to America. I feel it’s been lost in the last 12 years.”

Elton recently joined with other artists campaigning against proposed changes in UK copyright law that would allow AI developers to use their work without permission. You can read our coverage on that here.

In the record’s title track, Bellamy sings; “We need a revolution so long as we stay free”, a sentiment that comes from the growing concerns held by the band’s frontman in a world of terrifying acts in global politics. He stated; “It’s a worrying time because there is a chance here. There’s a window for a lovely new kind of political model or socio-economic structure that could be really good. A good change is possible, but the problem is you have these authoritarians that are realising that they can capitalise on disruption.

The term “authoritarians” refers to Donald Trump whom the musician formerly described as; “represent[ing] the worst of the worst. What he did was destroy the country by creating massive division,”

He later added; “By any measure, a great leader is somebody who can unify their own people against external threats, and he’s done the exact opposite of that. He made them all turn against each other, and that’s what actually caused the whole of the West to become vulnerable enough where Putin can do what he’s doing now… It’s his complete lack of knowledge about the forces that unify the West like NATO and liberal democracy that has caused this chaos.”

In regards to who Bellamy thought contributed most to the fallout of Trump’s four-year car crash in the oval office. He said; “I’d say it’s more a case of Putin [thinking], ‘Let’s encourage the chaos – the division’. And the more he could create this dismantling of the West, the more likely he was to be able to get away with what he’s been wanting to do for a long time, which is reclaim the old Soviet states.”

You can find the full interview here, in which Bellamy engages with many other of the world’s most pressing problems.

Elsewhere, Muse kicked off their summer tour on the 4^th of June 2022 at AM Ring. Featuring works across their entire catalogue (and some new material in the form of the unreleased track “Kill Or Be Killed”).  Information and tickets can be found here.

Will Of The People is currently available to be pre-ordered at the band’s official website.

Donald Trump has been using songs like, You Can’t Always Get What You Want at his rallies since 2016, including using it at his recent rally in Tulsa. In 2016, The Rolling Stones spoke out about the campaigns use of their music at the Republican Convention.

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Just in case you missed it! #TogetherAtHome

A post shared by The Rolling Stones (@therollingstones) on Apr 20, 2020 at 10:26am PDT

Political rallies often include music to hype up the crowd. It is not necessary for the Trump campaign to gain permission from the artist as the arenas they are held in have Public Performance Licenses, which gives them the right to over 15 million musical works from the BMI’s collection.

The BMI have stepped in to assist the Rolling Stones in stopping the campaign from using their work. Speaking to Deadline, a spokesperson for BMI has said; “There is a provision, however, that allows BMI to exclude musical works from the license if a songwriter or publisher objects to its use by a campaign. BMI has received such an objection and sent a letter notifying the Trump campaign that the Rolling Stones’ works have been removed from the campaign license, and advising the campaign that any future use of these musical compositions will be in breach of its license agreement with BMI.”

Many other artists have spoken out about the Trump campaign’s use of their music, in order to make it clear that they do not support him and didn’t give permission for their music to be played. This list includes: Adele, George Harrison’s estate, Rihanna, Aerosmith, Queen and Panic! at the Disco. In 2015 Elton John asked for Donald Trump to stop using his song Rocketman, which was famously the inspiration for Trump’s nickname for North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, as he didn’t feel comfortable with his music being used in American elections.

Dear Everyone Else,

Donald Trump represents nothing we stand for. The highest hope we have is voting this monster out in November.

Please do your part: https://t.co/JX8GynZduq

— Brendon Urie (@brendonurie) June 24, 2020

While these artists can ask for their music not to be used, unless Trump agrees or they can sort it out with him privately, there is no legal need for him to stop using their music.

Donald Trump has always had a lot of push back from celebrities. When you compare how many artists have performed for Obama over his presidency, Trump’s list is almost non-existent, especially with all of the artists who refused to perform at the inauguration ball such as Charlotte Church and Bruce Springsteen.

Despite having previously and publicly backed Hilary Clinton, RZA was realistic about how things were going to be in the future, saying to TMZ that “Trump is the President, so we’re going to have to talk to him, deal with him […] If Kanye went in to speak for our community then Bong Bong.”

When quizzed about why he’d be voting for Hilary, RZA was very open, saying that his year’s of traversing the globe had influenced his decision: “What that means for me as a world traveller is the image of our president affects us who travel around the world – it affects the worldview of us,” RZA also saw voting for Hilary to be a continuation of Obama’s good work, elaborating “So when we put in a black man as president, we kind of fulfilled what the principles of our country are: to look at us as that guiding light.”

RZA joins the growing list of musicians that have voiced their opinions on Kanye’s meeting with America’s future President. Last week, longtime friend and collaborator John Legend admitted that he was “disappointed” with Kanye’s decisions, especially following the Chicago rapper’s hospitalisation for a multitude of concerning conditions. Legend and his wife Chrissy Teigen had been very vocal in their stance against Trump in the run-up to the election, and on December 14 Legend said “I think Trump has been corrosive, his message has been corrosive to the country and I think the things he’s promised to do have been very concerning for a lot of people. And for Kanye to support that message is very disappointing…. Whatever was in his mind, I disagree with him.”

Kanye himself took to Twitter to address the controversy of his meeting with Trump at New York’s Trump Tower, saying that he personally requested the meeting, in order to discuss “multicultural issues” particularly in his home city of Chicago, as seen in the tweet below. Kanye expanded his point, saying that he thought it to be important “to have a direct line of communication with our future President if we truly want to change.” Prior to his hospitalisation, Kanye was filmed onstage saying that he hadn’t voted in the election, but that if he had, it would’ve been Trump who had got his vote.

These issues included bullying, supporting teachers, modernizing curriculums, and violence in Chicago.

— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) December 13, 2016

The vandalism of the park comes in the same week that the Beastie Boys’ iconic debut album Licensed to Ill celebrated it’s 30th anniversary since it’s release, commemorated by a special, heavyweight vinyl pressing of the album, that can be found at the Beastie Boy’s website.

New York councillor Brad Lander took to Twitter to both share and respond to the alarming graffiti, which was pictured with young children playing around it.

Yet more hatred & anti-Semitism from Trump supporters. Swastikas on the playground equipment in Adam Yauch Park in BK Heights. #NeverIsNow pic.twitter.com/Xbcwo4enfF

— Brad Lander (@bradlander) November 18, 2016

Lander elaborated in a follow-up tweet, making the vandalism even more disturbing. As well as this, the councillor promised both locals, and fans of the Beastie Boys, that the hateful graffiti would be removed directly.

Adam Yauch is weeping for our country. Mom was Jewish. Practiced Buddhism. Spoke out against Islamophobia. Apologized for homophobic lyrics.

— Brad Lander (@bradlander) November 18, 2016

NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force and @NYCParks staff on-site immediately. Will be painted over tonight. No place for hate. We will not be cowed.

— Brad Lander (@bradlander) November 18, 2016

This defacement adds to a politically turbulent week in hip-hop, with current 2020 front-runner Kanye West brazenly announcing to a shocked San Jose crowd ““I told y’all I didn’t vote, right? […]But if I would have voted, I would have voted for Trump.”

Fans that were at the concert claim that West went on several speeches throughout the course of the gig, claiming that Weat ‘loved’ Trump’s debate style, and how he forced racists to ‘reveal themselves’ suggesting that this was just ‘the beginning’. West’s comments about Trump will come as a surprise to some, given that he donated to Hilary Clinton’s campaign in 2015.

The Ex-Smiths frontman described the results of June’s referendum as being “magnificent,” having previously taken aim at the British media for the victimisation of those who voted to leave the European Union. He accused media outlets like the BBC of “persistently smear people who voted Leave… almost condemning such people as being irresponsible, drunken racists. Yet the BBC have not ever questioned the Remain voters” suggesting that they were “not giving us news at all, but they are attempting to influence us with their own opinions, which is not the moral duty of any news network.”
Morrissey then drew parallels to the state of American politics: “The same can be said for the USA. […] although politicians do not and cannot change, the people the world over have changed. What could be more grotesquely stupid than the Clinton-Trump coverage?” He then suggested that both American and British news services like the BBC, Sky, and Fox News “all depend on public stupidity in order to create their own myth of reality. Watch them at your peril!”

In the same interview, the singer also discussed his health, following news in 2014 that he had undergone several cancer treatments ““I think [cancer treatment] has slowed me down considerably because doctors and hospitals and medications are actually very ageing in their way, and they can often exhaust you more than whatever medical problem you have […] If I’m asked to give any more blood I think I’ll crack up.”

Morrissey’s unorthodox attitudes to mortality are well documented, and when first disclosing information about his treatment to El Mundo in 2014 he said “If I die, then I die. And if I don’t, then I don’t. Right now I feel good. I am aware that in some of my recent photos I look somewhat unhealthy, but that’s what illness can do. I’m not going to worry about that, I’ll rest when I’m dead.”

The Oscar-Winning composer has teamed up with Leonard DiCaprio and post-rock icons Mogwai, to work on global warming documentary Before the Flood, and was outraged by the topic being “so politicised—and the repulsive climate that’s emerged […] it’s alarming to see society devolve in a lot of ways” as a result of Trump’s widened mainstream exposure.

Reznor discussed the difficulty he and the film’s creators- including director Fisher Stevens and executive producer Martin Scorsese- faced in convincing and publicising the consequences of climate change, blaming “the fossil-fuel industry and the Republican agenda” claiming that they had “done a masterful job of polarising elements of the country” and rounding on their elected leader.

Reznor did initially concede that he was “entertained during the Republican debates” earlier in the political cycle, but that the entire situation was now “absurd” and “stopped being funny months ago.” Reznor also disclosed his long-term fears for the political landscape of America, even if he doesn’t win the election, due to the mogul-turned-presidential candidate’s “awful lot of very energised followers” and worrying that the more environmentally conscious Hilary Clinton would be “walking into a terrible situation.” Due to the seemingly unshakeable loyalty that Trump’s followers have to him.

The Nine Inch Nails frontman joins an increasingly long list of musicians to speak out against Trump, with the likes of Franz Ferdinand and Death Cab for Cutie, being driven to release their own protest songs, as part of the ’30 Days, 30 Songs’ project, releasing a new protest song against Trump every day for a month.

As well as Before the Flood, Reznor is also confirmed to be scoring Boston Marathon Bombing biopic Patriots Day, with long term musical collaborator Atticus Ross. With regard to the rumoured recording of a ninth Nine Inch Nails album “I am working on music right now, that’s all I can say!” This lack of confirmation may disappoint some expectant fans, following the claims made by Reznor on Twitter in late 2015.

New NIN coming in 2016. Other stuff, too.

— Trent Reznor (@trent_reznor) December 18, 2015

This was the first murmur of new NIN work since 2013’s Hesitation Marks, but ‘other stuff’ could also allude to the aforementioned film scores, or even a potential new How to Destroy Angels project, featuring Reznor’s wife Mariqueen Maandig, as well as Ross and frequent collaborator Rob Sheridan.

A few months ago we covered the news that Adele had directly requested Trump to stop using her music, with the hopeful (and seemingly inevitable) Republic nominee using ‘Rolling in the Deep’ and ‘Skyfall’. See our article on that here. However as mentioned, it’s not just Adele and The Rolling Stones who have banned Trump from using their music, but rather other huge household names such as Aerosmith and Neil Young.

Aerosmith in particular had this to say on the matter:

“‘Trump for President’ does not have our client’s permission to use ‘Dream On’ or any of our client’s other music in connection with the Campaign because it gives the false impression that he is connected with or endorses Mr. Trump’s presidential bid.

We are unaware of any public performance license granting Trump for President the right to perform ‘Dream On’ in connection with the Campaign. If Trump for President has any such license, please forward it to our attention immediately”.

The Rolling Stones today released a statement saying:

“The Rolling Stones have never given permission to the Trump campaign to use their songs and have requested that they cease all use immediately.”

Listen to The Rolling Stones’ ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want’ below:

However it seems that Trump has openly defied Adele’s ban. With the hopeful Republican nominee continuing to play ‘Rolling in The Deep’ and ‘Skyfall’, with reports coming out that during a rally in New Hampshire Trump continued to use Adele’s music.

Yet it is worth mentioning that despite the fact Adele obviously owns the music that Trump is playing, due to the nature of the music and the venue, Trump might actually still be able to play the songs, despite Adele banning him.

With this article arguing that:

“A public performance of the musical work generally – with complicated exceptions – requires licensing, which most public venues have,” says Rebecca Tushnet, a Georgetown University law professor.

Adele is listed on the roster of Broadcast Music Inc., one of the largest public performance organizations, “so the venue’s license would likely protect the campaign from a copyright infringement suit,” University of Michigan law professor Jessica Litman says.

Knowing Trump he will continue to exercise his right to play Adele’s music, however I can guarantee that this will be the last we hear from this. Politicians and musicians rarely get on unless they are steadfast followers of that politician.

The only problem that can emerge from Trump’s continuation to use Adele’s music is if he was to take it to be his campaign song, or start using it as representative of himself; then Adele would have the rights to ban him.

Things might be different, however, if Trump – who at times seems to relish bad press – were to react to Adele’s objection by adopting her music as his campaign’s theme song, Brauneis says.

“If Trump announced that ‘Rolling in the Deep’ was the theme song for his campaign – maybe in that case people would believe that Adele had endorsed Trump,” he muses.

Last time we said to listen to ‘Rolling in the Deep’ by Adele, this time listen to Trump’s other favourite Adele song, the Oscar winning ‘Skyfall':