Then-President Donald Trump speaks to supporters from The Ellipse near the White House on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
AFP via Getty Images
Donald Trump and a group of individuals incarcerated for their alleged involvement in the Jan. 6 riot have collaborated on a song called “Justice for All.” It will debut Thursday at midnight on streaming services, including Apple Music and Spotify, according to a person with knowledge of the project.
The track interpolates Trump reciting the Pledge of Allegiance into “The Star-Spangled Banner,” which is performed by a group of about 20 inmates, called the J6 Prison Choir, housed at the Washington, D.C. jail. The song ends with the inmates chanting, “USA!”
Profits are slated to benefit the families of people imprisoned for their alleged roles in the Capitol riots that left five people dead.
A music video featuring footage of Trump performing patriotic acts during his presidency and shots of the riots, including police firing tear gas, will debut later Friday morning on Steve Bannon’s “War Room” podcast.
Trump recorded the Pledge of Allegiance at Mar-a-Lago a couple of weeks ago, specifically for this track. The inmates, who sing the national anthem nightly, were recorded over a jailhouse phone about a month ago. The song, which runs 2 minutes and 20 seconds, was reportedly produced by a major recording artist who was not identified.
The cover art for “Justice for All” appeared on com.all-url.info, a service that catalogs information about domains and websites.
ustice for All/Donald J. Trump and the J6 Prison Choir
A different recording project involving the inmates had been discussed, according to a person with knowledge of the project granted anonymity so they could speak candidly about the track before it was released. But when Trump heard about the original plan, the former president asked to be directly involved. Kash Patel, who worked in the Pentagon during the Trump administration, and conservative commentator Ed Henry reportedly joined Trump in spearheading the project. Funds are slated to go to an LLC run by Henry, who will then disperse the profits. Recipients will be vetted to make sure proceeds do not benefit families of people who assaulted a police officer.
Spokespeople for Trump, Patel and Henry did not immediately respond to inquiries.
“Justice for All” started to appear online earlier this week, with the track popping up in MediaBase, a service that monitors radio airplay. MediaBase lists Mailman Media as the record label. Florida business filings show a firm with that name registered to Henry. The group also has a fledgling online presence with empty profiles on Apple Music and Rumble. Henry has launched an online community page around “Justice for All” on locals.com, a crowdfunding site for creators. The cost to join starts at $10 a month.
The cover art for “Justice for All,” depicts the inside of a jail cell, with a glimmer of the American flag visible through a window, according to com.all-url.info, a service that catalogs information about websites. The track’s website, j6prisonchoir.com, is not currently public.
Trump is scheduled to make a public appearance Saturday afternoon when he delivers a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference in suburban Washington, D.C.