MAGA playlists exposed — and they're full of gay anthems and artists

Being tone deaf and out of touch is sort of a hallmark of the Republican Party. That was made startlingly apparent on the Presidential campaign trail when President Donald Trump kept playing Bruce Springsteen’s anti-Vietnam War song “Born in the U.S.A.” and gay anthems “Y.M.C.A.” and “Macho Man” at rallies without any sense of irony or nod at the hypocrisy.

But apparently this lack of music literacy and ease at letting their hypocrite flag fly trickles down from the top because Trump isn’t the only homophobic, anti-trans Republican who likes to blast gay anthems.

A website claiming to have accessed the Spotify listening habits of members of the Trump administration, democratic lawmakers, tech leaders, and journalists, and the results from conservatives on this so-called "Panama Playlist" will have you scratching your head.

While it’s hard to verify how accurate the Panama Playlist website is, Wired confirmed that New York Times reporter Mike Isaac’s list is accurate, and five other individuals on the list confirmed the accuracy of this list to The Verge, according to Wired. Which means that right-wing politicians like Ron DeSantis, Pam Bondi, and JD Vance all support policies that strip LGBTQ+ people of their human and legal rights while blasting queer anthems and music made by queer artists.

You can’t count on a lot in this life, but you can always count on extreme hypocrisy from the Republican Party.

JD Vance

Vice President JD Vance, who opposed the Respect for Marriage Act, which sought to codify same-sex marriage equality, has been a vocal opponent of trans rights, including fighting to restrict gender-affirming care for minors, and he has consistently repeated anti-LGBTQ+ Republican talking points like calling queer people “groomers.”

• “Fast Car” by Tracy Chapman
• “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” by Whitney Houston

Ron DeSantis

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill into law, which banned teachers from holding classroom instruction about sexual orientation or gender identity. He also said Florida “will not comply” and he would “fight back” against the Biden administration’s Title IX rules that provided protections for LGBTQ+ students and prohibited discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. And when he was running in the Republican presidential primary, DeSantis’ campaign posted a homophobic video. And that’s just scratching the surface of the Republican politician’s anti-LGBTQ+ stances.

• “Party In The U.S.A.” by Miley Cyrus
• “Voulez-Vous” by ABBA
• “I’m Still Standing” by Elton John
• “Rocket Man” by Elton John
• “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen
• “Y.M.C.A.” by Village People

Pam Bondi

Not only is she the United States Attorney General under Trump, but while she was still the Florida Attorney General, Pam Bondi argued that recognizing same-sex marriages performed in other states would “impose significant public harm” to the people of Florida in the wake of the Pulse nightclub shooting.

• “Player (feat. Christ Brown)” by Tinashe
• “Somebody That I Used To Know” by Pentatonix
• “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” by Pat Benatar
• “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor
• “You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) by Dead Or Alive
• “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” by Elton John, Kiki Dee
• “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” by Cyndi Lauper
• “Have It All” by Jason Mraz
• “I Like Me Better” by Lauv
• “Truly Madly Deeply” by Savage Garden
• “Affirmation” by Savage Garden
• “Slow Burn” by Kacey Musgraves
• “Dancing Queen” by ABBA
• “Here I am” by Sia, Dolly Parton
• “Material Girl” by Madonna

Dan Crenshaw

Not only did Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw vote against the Respect for Marriage Act, but he also added “The Crenshaw Amendment” to Trump’s giant funding bill, which would cut Medicaid, CHIP, and Affordable Care Act funds from being used for gender-affirming care for minors and adults.

• “Unholy” by Sam Smith and Kim Petras
• “Take Me Home” featuring Bebe Rexha
• “Last Train” by Ladyhawke (with Tiesto and Firebeatz)
• “Black Dress” by 070 Shake, Anyma
• “11 Minutes” by Yungblood

Karoline Leavitt

As U.S. press secretary, not only is Karoline Leavitt the mouthpiece for the Trump administration and it’s virulent anti-LGBTQ+ policies, but she has loudly supported Trump’s ban on transgender women and girls competing on female sports teams, frequently misgendered trans women, and once said during a White House briefing, “You can’t say you are the party of women and then support men in women’s sports.” She also opposed allowing trans people to use the bathroom that matches their gender identity and strongly supported Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law. And during her short-lived congressional campaign, Leavitt opposed policies that would let schools keep LGBTQ+ students’ identities confidential if they fear coming out to their parents, LGBTQ+ Nation reports.

• “I Want to Dance with Somebody” by Whitney Houston
• “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” by Cyndi Lauper
• “Run the World (Girls)” by Beyonce
• “Dancing Queen” by ABBA
• “Respect” by Aretha Franklin

Jacob Helberg

Jacob Helberg may be gay himself, but he donated $1 million to the Trump campaign, he was nominated as the Under Secretary f State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment by Trump, and now serves as a commissioner for the U.S.—China Economic and Security Review Commission. While he hasn’t come out and said anything anti-LGBTQ+, he clearly supports the Trump administration, which has no problem stripping queer people of their rights.

• “Femininomenon” by Chappell Roan
• “Don’t Stop” by the Glee Cast
• “Under Pressure” by Queen, David Bowie
• “Party In The U.S.A. by Miley Cyrus
• “The Bitch is Back” by Elton John