Final Insult: Trump Defiles ‘Gloria’ — Again

Laura Branigan deserved better than this.

In one of Donald Trump’s final acts as president, he treated himself to a going-away party set to the late singer’s hit “Gloria.” The song had been a force for good as the unofficial anthem of the St. Louis’ Blues’ historic 2019 Stanley Cup run. But then Trump had to defile it.

It started with him playing it during the Blues’ trip to the White House during their championship tour. That sucked, but we were admittedly naive in thinking that was as bad as it would get for “Gloria.”

In retrospect, it was perhaps inevitable that he would then try to steal the glory of legitimate winners for himself, adopting the Blues’ victory song as he pretended to have won re-election. It was “Gloria” that Trump played on January 6 when he arrived at a rally of his supporters in Washington D.C. and told them they’d have to “fight like hell” to keep the country from being stolen from them. Encouraged by the president, extremists in the crowd stormed the U.S. Capitol, overwhelming police as they went room by room, searching for members of Congress and Vice President Mike Pence, whom Trump blamed for not illegally overturning the election.

“Hang Mike Pence,” insurrectionists could be heard saying in videos of mayhem.

Five people died, including a Capitol Police officer who was smashed in the head with a fire extinguisher. A Missouri woman joined the siege, snatching a piece of House Speaker’s broken nameplate and parading it through the Capitol, authorities say. And wouldn’t you know it, there was a man in a Blues knit hat next to her in some of the footage. He’s believed to be from St. Charles, and the FBI is investigating him too, according to a KMOV report.

Add the role Missouri lawmakers played in stoking the chaos, and it wasn’t a great day for the state. Branigan’s legacy manager Kathy Golik wasn’t feeling it, either. On Twitter, she made it clear Trump had no permission to play the song. She wrote that she was working to make it “abundantly clear that it is disturbing & appalling to see Laura’s memory, her music, & her legacy associated w/ violence at the Capitol this week.”

In fairness, it’s possible Trump never saw that tweet, given that he’s been kicked off the platform for spreading dangerous lies. So as he arrived on Marine One at Andrews Air Force Base this morning, “Gloria” blasted. It turns out, the lyrics were just right.

“I think you’re headed for a breakdown,” Branigan’s recorded voice bellowed. “So be careful not to show it.”

During his speech, Trump claimed he was leaving a legacy of greatness. The crowd was a lot smaller than the one that gathered two weeks before at the Capitol. Noticeably absent was Pence and a host of cabinet members, who’d spurned an invitation to attend. But Trump rolled through familiar talking points as he recast his failings as victories. He promised he’d be back in “one form or another.”

You can look up the speech, but let’s let Branigan sing him out.

“If everybody wants you, why isn’t anybody calling?”

We welcome tips and feedback. Email the author at doyle.murphy@riverfronttimes.com or follow on Twitter at @DoyleMurphy.