"Justice for All" is a charity record by former United States President Donald Trump and the J6 Prison Choir, a choir of about 20 men imprisoned for their involvement in the January 6 United States Capitol attack. The profits from the song are dedicated to the legal aid of people incarcerated for the attack.
| "Justice for All" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Single by Donald Trump and the J6 Prison Choir | |
| Released | March 3, 2023 |
| Genre | |
| Length | 2:20 |
| Music video | |
| "Justice for All" at Rumble | |
Background
editOn January 6, 2021, then–President of the United States Donald Trump incited an attack against the United States Capitol in an attempt to interfere with the election of Joe Biden. The attack was linked to nine deaths, including law enforcement suicides, and around 1,000 people have been charged with crimes in connection to the attack. A 2021 review found that during the attack, approximately 1,000 assaults on law enforcement personnel took place.[1] Since the attack, Trump has admitted to financially supporting those charged with crimes and has promised to consider issuing full pardons to rioters if he is elected president in 2024.[2][3]
Content
editThe song consists of Trump reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America interspersed with the J6 Prison Choir singing "The Star-Spangled Banner" with an ambient backing track. The song finishes with the choir chanting "U-S-A!" six times.[2][4][5] The Pledge of Allegiance portion was recorded at Trump's home at Mar-a-Lago, while the choir's singing was recorded through a prison phone.[6]
Royalties
editThe project was reportedly organized by conservative commentator and former Fox News host Ed Henry,[6] music executive LJ Fino and Henry's record label Mailman Media, INC. who stated that royalties will be donated to family members of people incarcerated for participating in the Capitol attack.[citation needed] Forbes reported that the recipients would "be vetted to ensure funds do not go to anyone who assaulted police officers" during the attack.[7][4]
Forbes said the record "was reportedly produced by a major recording artist who was not identified".[6]
Music video
editA music video premiered on Steve Bannon's podcast War Room; it shows footage of Trump "performing patriotic acts during his presidency" and footage of the January 6 United States Capitol attack.[6] The music video later appeared on Rumble and Locals on March 9 and March 10.[8] The D.C. Department of Corrections is investigating because detainees are prohibited from using video-sharing platforms.[9]
Reception
editBarb McQuade, a University of Michigan law professor and former attorney, called the song "a disinformation tactic right out of the authoritarian playbook".[4] Some online users reacted negatively as well, calling Trump "narcissistic" for the song.[10]
A YouTube upload of the single, released on March 4, 2023, had been viewed 504,000 times by March 13.[11] As of September 2024, that video was no longer available on YouTube, but showed a total viewing count of 1,253,000 views.[12]
Forbes described the record sales as "impressive".[13]
Billboard Magazine described the record's sales success and chart-topping status.[14]
Use in Trump's 2024 presidential campaign rallies
editThe song was used in an opener in Trump's first 2024 campaign rally in Waco, Texas.[15]
Charts
edit| Chart (2023) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[16] | 4 |
| US Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[8] | 1 |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Mallin, Alexander (September 2, 2021). "'Approximately 1,000' assaults on law enforcement occurred during Capitol attack, DOJ review finds". ABC News. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
- ^ a b Wang, Amy B (March 3, 2023). "Trump takes support for Jan. 6 rioters to new level, collaborates on a song". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved March 5, 2023.
- ^ Robertson, Nicky; Holmes, Kristen (March 4, 2023). "Trump featured in song by January 6 prisoners choir". CNN. Retrieved March 5, 2023.
- ^ a b c Pengelly, Martin (March 3, 2023). "Singin' the coups: Donald Trump releases single with January 6 prisoners". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved March 5, 2023.
- ^ Shoaib, Alia (March 4, 2023). "Donald Trump releases song with Capitol riot prisoners called 'Justice for All'". Business Insider. Retrieved March 5, 2023.
- ^ a b c d Everson, Zach (March 2, 2023). "Trump And Jan. 6 Prisoners Collaborate On New Song Called 'Justice For All'". Forbes. Retrieved March 5, 2023.
- ^ Dellatto, Marisa (March 21, 2023). "Trump Hits No. 1 with 'Justice for All' Song Made with Jan. 6 Arrestees". Forbes. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
- ^ a b "Donald J. Trump & J6 Prison Choir's 'Justice for All' Debuts at No. 1 on Digital Song Sales Chart". Billboard. March 20, 2023. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
- ^ Arnsdorf, Isaac; Kelly, Meg; Weiner, Rachel; Jackman, Tom (May 4, 2023). "Behind Trump's musical tribute to some of the most violent Jan. 6 rioters". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
- ^ "Donald Trump Extends Support For Capitol Rioters, Collaborates On A Song". NDTV.com. March 4, 2023. Retrieved March 5, 2023.
- ^ Oshin, Olafimihan (March 13, 2023). "J6 Prison Choir song featuring Trump reaches No. 1 on iTunes". The Hill. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
- ^ "Justice for All". Donald J. Trump – Topic. March 2, 2023 – via YouTube.
- ^ Everson, Zach (March 14, 2023). "Trump And J6 Prison Choir Track Sells 'Impressive' 22,500 Digital Downloads". Forbes. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
- ^ "Donald J. Trump & J6 Prison Choir's 'Justice for All' Debuts at No. 1 on Digital Song Sales Chart". Billboard.
- ^ Neukam, Stephen (March 26, 2023). "Trump opens campaign rally with song featuring Jan. 6 defendants". The Hill. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
- ^ "Bubbling Under Hot 100: Week of March 25, 2023". Billboard. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
External links
edit- J6 Prison Choir website Archived March 20, 2023, at the Wayback Machine