No, Elton John will not be playing Donald Trump’s inauguration despite a Trump adviser’s claim to the contrary.
“Elton will not be performing at Trump’s inauguration,” the musician’s rep told the New York Post.
In a conversation with BBC News earlier on Wednesday, Anthony Scaramucci said he believes that Elton would play at the new president’s inauguration in January after Trump made it clear he wanted the “Tiny Dancer” singer to perform.
“Elton John is going to be doing our concert on the mall for the inauguration,” Scaramucci said, adding that his performance would show their “commitment to gay rights.”
John was an avid Hillary Clinton supporter during the election, calling Trump a “barbarian” while attending a Hollywood fundraiser for Clinton in October.
According to BBC, John’s hits were frequently played at Trump rallies with “Tiny Dancer” and “Rocket Man” being some of the candidate’s favorites, but a publicist for John made it clear that Trump had not been given permission to use the songs.
The Rolling Stones took similar measures when their song “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” played at the Republican National Convention in July, with the band issuing a statement that denounced Trump’s candidacy.
Queen guitarist Brian May also asserted in June that the group never gave Trump permission to use the tune “We Are The Champions,” and were “taking advice on what steps we can take” to prevent it from happening again.
Reps for John have not yet responded to TheWrap’s request for comment.
Donald Trump's Many Conflicts of Interest: From His Hotels to Family Ties (Photos)
Trump's newly-renovated International Hotel in Washington, D.C. is perhaps his most concerning conflict of interest. The Washington Post reported recently that visiting foreign leaders have shown interest in booking rooms there as a way to show their support for the incoming Trump administration. "Why wouldn’t I stay at his hotel blocks from the White House, so I can tell the new president, ‘I love your new hotel!’" one Asian diplomat told the newspaper.
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Trump's decision to have his family members directly involved in his administration has also come under scrutiny. Congress passed an anti-nepotism law in 1967 after President John F. Kennedy made his brother, Robert, the attorney general.
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The New York Times reported that Trump met with three Indian business partners at Trump Tower to discuss a luxury apartment complex near Mumbai. The meeting raised new questions about Trump's willingness to separate his business dealings from government work.
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The potential for conflicts of interest between Trump and his family’s business drew more headlines after a photograph showing his daughter Ivanka at a meeting between Trump and the prime minister of Japan was released. The New York Times noted that Ivanka "serves as vice president for development and acquisitions at the Trump Organization, and the company’s website says one of her 'primary focuses has been to bring the Trump Hotel brand to global markets.'"
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Trump faces another conflict of interest as he will oversee the National Labor Relations Board, an independent U.S. government agency responsible, among other things, for investigating unfair labor practices. Just one week before the election, the board ruled against one of Trump’s hotels in Las Vegas.
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Trump's financial ties to lenders around the world, including Russia and China, could also pose a major conflict of interest. As president, his decisions could have economic implications affecting financial lending institutions and interest rates.
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Trump used his meeting with British politician Nigel Farage to try and get him to oppose offshore wind farms, which Trump believes will spoil his Scottish golf course view. During a meeting with the New York Times' editorial staff, Trump acknowledged he "might have brought it up."
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An Argentinian journalist reported that Trump asked his country's president Mauricio Macri for help with permits for one of his office buildings there. Both Macri and Trump denied the allegations. The Guardian reported that Ivanka participated in the call with Macri.
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According to Trump’s financial disclosure forms, he invested in Energy Transfer Partners, which operates the highly-contested oil pipeline in North Dakota. Oh yeah, and its CEO donated to Trump's campaign, according to The Guardian.
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And these are just the ones we know of …
Trump's newly-renovated International Hotel in Washington, D.C. is perhaps his most concerning conflict of interest. The Washington Post reported recently that visiting foreign leaders have shown interest in booking rooms there as a way to show their support for the incoming Trump administration. "Why wouldn’t I stay at his hotel blocks from the White House, so I can tell the new president, ‘I love your new hotel!’" one Asian diplomat told the newspaper.
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