President Trump shared a personal playlist with reporters on Air Force One around 10 p.m. on Sunday, including songs like Dolly Parton’s Jolene and ABBA’s Fernando. He personally selected these tracks to ensure the press felt “happy.” The playlist titled "APPROVED RALLY PLAYLIST" also included other popular hits such as Cat Stevens’ Wild World and Guns N' Roses’ November Rain. However, several artists have protested the use of their music at Trump events in the past.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-15,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event.
Why this leaning score
This article does not take a side on a contested political
question, so it has no leaning score. That is an
answer rather than a gap: a match report or a rescue can be warmly
or critically written without being left or right, and scoring it
anyway is how approval of a subject gets recorded as a political
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No political leaning scored for article 10421 · logged 2026-09-15
President Trump shared his personal playlist with reporters on Air Force One, telling the journalists that he wanted to make them “happy.”
asserted
them → share → journalists
The surreal moment took place just before 10 p.m. on Sunday, after officials working with the president asked members of the press if they wanted to hear songs chosen by Trump while he worked.
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he → take → Trump
According to a journalist with The Telegraph, reporters were treated to the late Dolly Parton’s smash hit Jolene, ABBA’s legendary love song Fernando, Luciano Pavarotti’s Nessun Dorma, Baba O'Riley by The Who and even the Undertaker’s WWE entrance music.
uncertain
reporters → accord → Who
Eventually, Trump ventured down the presidential jet’s press cabin to ask members of the press about the music.
“I want to make sure everyone is okay with the music, right?” Trump asked.
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Trump → venture → music
“We loved it, Mr President,” someone replied.
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someone → love → it
I’m only back here…
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I → ’m → ?
I gave you a press conference before we got on.
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we → give → conference
The music’s great, right?” the president said.
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president → ’ → ?
Upon being asked if he chose the songs himself, Trump said: “Yes, I picked myself.
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I → ask → myself
I want to make you happy, so I’m playing wonderful music, happy music.”
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I → want → music
According to a White House press pool report, the songs had been played through a large speaker and were featured on a playlist entitled: “APPROVED RALLY PLAYLIST.”
Other songs featured on the playlist included Lesley Gore’s You Don’t Own Me, Wild World by Cat Stevens, Losing My Religion by REM and November Rain by Guns N' Roses.
uncertain
You → accord → Guns
Speaking to reporters, Trump mused on Parton’s recent death and his own thoughts on music.
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Trump → speak → music
“Dolly was the greatest,” he said.
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he → say → ?
“That was a sad moment when Dolly left us.
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Dolly → leave → us
We have a lot of Dolly songs on there.”
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We → have → songs
Trump added, “I love music; I love good music.
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I → add → music
That’s what keeps me happy.
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what → ’ → me
My life..it’s a very interesting thing, but I love music.
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I → ’ → music
Several of the artists on Trump’s playlist have denounced the use of their songs by the 47th president.
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Several → denounce → president
Following an August 2024 event in which Trump’s campaign played Dancing Queen, The Winner Takes It All and Money, Money, Money, ABBA demanded that his team stop using their music.
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team → follow → music
“Together with the members of Abba, we have discovered that videos have been released where Abba’s music/videos has been used at Trump events, and we have therefore requested that such use be immediately taken down and removed,” a spokesperson for Universal Music told The Guardian.
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spokesperson → discover → Guardian
The family of late opera star Luciano Pavarotti also protested the use of the tenor’s Nessun Dorma by Trump’s campaign in 2016.
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family → protest → 2016
Nicoletta Mantovani Pavarotti, the singer’s widow, and his three daughters told The New York Times that “the values of brotherhood and solidarity which Luciano Pavarotti expressed throughout the course of his artistic career are entirely incompatible with the worldview offered by the candidate Donald Trump.”
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Pavarotti → tell → candidate
Trump is infamous for playing his favorite songs at his rallies, but sources told Axios in 2024 that the now-president is also nicknamed “DJ T” by regulars at his Mar-a-Lago resort due to his tight control over the music played at the luxurious club’s dining patio.
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president → play → patio
Reportedly, Trump alone controls the volume of the music as he plays a range of songs, including hits from Broadway musicals, such as Jesus Christ Superstar and The Phantom of the Opera.
uncertain
he → control → Opera
The Aporia
