In a week of gaffes, Donald Trump has now had his taste in music criticised after a jarring song choice at a campaign speech.
As the US Covid-19 death toll hits 160,000, and experts say 300,000 could die by year’s end, the Donald rocked out to Guns and Roses’ cover of Wings’ “Live and Let Die” before his speech at the Whirlpool washing machine factory in Ohio.
Journalist Robert Mackey from The Intercept shared the video, pointing out the incongruous choice, given that not only had the virus killed 1400 Americans the day prior but even Ohio’s state Governor Mike DeWine had tested positive and couldn’t attend the event.
It isn’t the first time the song has played at a Trump event. It provided the soundtrack for the President’s visit to a face mask factory in May.
Social media reactions to the choice were fierce, with many providing biting suggestions on what songs might be next for the Trump campaign.
Others suggested that Blue Oyster Cult’s “Don’t Fear the Reaper” might be apt while another wit added if he was going to use a Paul McCartney song he should use “Back in the USSR”.
Many asked whether Paul McCartney or Guns and Roses would be okay with the use of the song.
Guns and Roses have gone public before with disdain for Trump’s use of their music, releasing a T-shirt with a “Live and Let Die with Covid 45” after the mask factory visit.
100 per cent of the proceeds from the T-shirt sales went to the Recording Academy’s MusiCares, which provides services and resources to those in need in the music community.
Earlier this week, Trump mispronounced a commonplace name during a campaign event.
It was the southeast Asian country of Thailand that proved a problem for the US President, who pronounced it “Thigh-land”.
“Shifting production to Thigh-land,” Trump said during the speech at a washing machine factory in Ohio, before correcting himself.
Thailand and Vietnam, two places that … I like their leaders very much.”
Twitter users didn’t hold back in mocking Trump, leaping on the opportunity to post a series of gags and memes after video of the gaffe went viral.
The very public slip-up was the second this week for Trump, who earlier struggled to pronounce the United States’ most famous National Park, labouring over the word Yosemite in a speech at the White House.
Trump was signing the Great American Outdoors Act, legislation that will devote nearly US$3 billion annually to conservation, when he mispronounced the name of the park.
Speaking about the need to preserve the American wilderness, Trump started strongly enough by telling the crowd: “We want every American child to have access to pristine outdoor spaces, where young Americans experience the breathtaking beauty of the Grand Canyon.”
When he turned his attention to Yosemite National Park, the wheels fell off.
“When their eyes widen in amazement as Old Faithful bursts into the sky, when they gaze upon Yo-semites, Yo-seminites, towering sequoias, their love of country grows stronger and they know that every American has truly a duty to preserve this wondrous inheritance,” Trump said.
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