NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Entertainment

Donald Trump plays 'Live and Let Die' at campaign speech as virus death toll climbs

NZ Herald
7 Aug, 2020 08:33 PM5 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Donald Trump and Axl Rose.

Donald Trump and Axl Rose.

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.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The White House is playing "Live and Let Die" before Trump's arrival at a thinly disguised campaign event in Ohio that the state's governor cannot attend because he just came down with Covid-19, the disease that killed over 1,400 Americans yesterday. pic.twitter.com/AGumBfSFb8

— Robert Mackey (@RobertMackey) August 6, 2020

Social media reactions to the choice were fierce, with many providing biting suggestions on what songs might be next for the Trump campaign.

They’ll soon be playing Queen’s “Another one bites the dust”

— Anraí MacUalghairg (@AinriM) August 7, 2020

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.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

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.

Discover more

World

The unique US failure to control Covid-19

06 Aug 08:26 PM
Opinion

Steve Braunias: the secret diary of ... that Trump interview

08 Aug 02:11 AM
Business

Donald Trump bans dealings with Chinese owners of TikTok, WeChat

07 Aug 02:45 AM
World

US cracks down on pro-China leaders

07 Aug 07:42 PM

"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.

Thighland is my favorite country after Assganistan. https://t.co/6shV0lkltA

— Alexis Boucher (@alexis_b82) August 6, 2020

"shifting production to Thighland" is how I refer to leg day https://t.co/b2ESMz0hMI

— Drew Goins (@drewlgoins) August 6, 2020

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.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"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.

Trump was widely mocked online for the gaffe, coming as public attention has been focused on the mental acuities of both presidential candidates.

Late last month, 74-year-old Trump attempted to demonstrate his mental fitness by reciting five words — in order, importantly — over and over in a television interview.

The President said that collection of nouns, or ones like them, was part of a cognitive test he had aced while declaring that his likely Democratic opponent, 77-year-old Joe Biden, could not do the same.

In a battle of septuagenarians, the Trump campaign has long tried to paint Biden as having lost some of his mental sharpness. But the gambit has yet to prove successful in denting the former vice president's standing in the race.

That leaves Trump trying to escalate the attacks while defending his own ability to handle the mental rigours of the job.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Entertainment

Entertainment

Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster, of all people, are the new Bennifer

17 Jun 10:15 PM
Herald NOW

Sydney Sweeney bathwater soap sells for $1500, and concerns for Justin Bieber's wellbeing

Herald NOW

PR founder and Business CEO on Sydney Sweeney's bathwater soap

Sponsored: Embrace the senses

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Entertainment

Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster, of all people, are the new Bennifer

Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster, of all people, are the new Bennifer

17 Jun 10:15 PM

The romance that became the celebrity gossip story of the year.

Sydney Sweeney bathwater soap sells for $1500, and concerns for Justin Bieber's wellbeing

Sydney Sweeney bathwater soap sells for $1500, and concerns for Justin Bieber's wellbeing

PR founder and Business CEO on Sydney Sweeney's bathwater soap

PR founder and Business CEO on Sydney Sweeney's bathwater soap

‘I’ve been put up on the shelf’: Temuera Morrison laments Star Wars limbo

‘I’ve been put up on the shelf’: Temuera Morrison laments Star Wars limbo

17 Jun 03:16 AM
Help for those helping hardest-hit
sponsored

Help for those helping hardest-hit

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP