Donald J. Trump took some time out from attacking the press to try to entertain them aboard Air Force One during the flight back from Ireland on Sunday.
According to a White House pool report, Trump sent the lead flight attendant to ask members of the media traveling with him if they wanted to listen to his playlist. They said yes, and the attendant returned with “a large speaker that was playing songs from a playlist named ‘APPROVED RALLY PLAYLIST,’” per the report.
The eclectic selection, according to the pool report, included Dolly Parton’s “Jolene,” Lesley Gore’s “You Don’t Own Me,” The Undertaker’s WWE entrance music, Cat Stevens’ “Wild World,” R.E.M.’s “Losing My Religion,” The Who’s “Teenage Wasteland,” Luciano Pavarotti’s “Nessun Dorma,” ABBA’s “Fernando” and Guns N’ Roses’ “November Rain.” Trump’s rally anthem, “Y.M.C.A.” by The Village People, did not appear to make the cut.
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Some 40-odd minutes later, Trump made his way back to the press cabin to check on his audience. “I just wanted to make sure everyone’s OK with the music, right?” he asked.
“We love you, Mr. President,” one person replied.
Trump insisted he had only stopped by to ask about the music, boasting that he had personally chosen the songs. “I want to make you happy. So, I’m playing wonderful music. Happy music,” he told journalists.
Trump also paid tribute to Parton, whose music featured on the playlist and who died recently, calling her “the greatest” and saying it was “a sad moment when Dolly left us.”
He then added, “I love music. I love good music. That’s what keeps me happy, because with my life, it’s a very interesting thing. But I love music.”
His attempt to keep the visit strictly musical didn’t last long, as he couldn’t resist answering a question about his upcoming summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, and then on other topics.