Billie Eilish among celebrities blocked by Trump administration from COVID campaign over previous criticism

That's according to a new leaked document

Editor’s Note: A previous version of this story stated that the Trump administration said in a leaked document that Billie Eilish was “destroying our country and everything we care about”. The document had actually quoted Eilish’s own comments about Trump, made at the Democratic National Convention. This story has been amended to remove this inaccuracy.

A leaked document has revealed that Billie Eilish was among a number of celebrities and musicians blocked by the Trump administration from an advertising campaign aiming to raise spirits amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The news was reported by The Washington Post, in a new article which details how the Trump administration made a series of politically motivated changes to a $250million advertising campaign that was designed to “defeat despair and inspire hope” amid the darkness of the coronavirus pandemic.

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The campaign was set to feature a series of various celebrities, but WaPo claims that Trump’s Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Michael Caputo instead suggested that the adverts should focus on the theme of “Helping The President Help The Country”.

Trump and a series of political appointees are then said to have omitted anyone who was critical of the President – including Eilish.

A document obtained by the Post and Politico compiling artists under consideration for the advertising campaign noted that Eilish was “not a Trump supporter”. The document also noted a statement the singer previously made at the Democratic National Convention, where she said that Trump was “destroying our country and everything we care about”.

Donald Trump
Donald Trump (Picture: Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)

The Trump administration is also said to have blocked the likes of Jennifer Lopez, Christina Aguilera, Adam Levine and Justin Timberlake – reasoning that they are liberals who have supported Barack Obama and gay rights.

In the end, only 10 celebrities were approved for the program, including Latin singer Marc Anthony, country stars Billy Ray Cyrus, Miranda Lambert and Garth Brooks, and Spanish singer Enrique Iglesias.

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The Trump administration is yet to comment on the claims, but Caputo is currently on a 60-day leave of absence after controversial comments made during a Facebook live stream.

It comes days before the US election (November 3), with Eilish previously voicing her support for Joe Biden.

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