Billie Eilish was considered for Trump public health campaign, but was not described as “destroying our country”
ABC/Eric McCandless No, Billie Eilish was not described as “destroying our country” by the Donald Trump administration. On Thursday, The Washington Post reported that three Democratic congresspeople sent a letter to Health and Human Services Secre…
By ABC Audio on October 29, 2020
ABC/Eric McCandless No, Billie Eilish was not described as “destroying our country” by the Donald Trump administration.
On Thursday, The Washington Post reported that three Democratic congresspeople sent a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar regarding the Trump administration’s proposed public health campaign aimed to “defeat despair and inspire hope” amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the letter, Carolyn B. Maloney, chairwoman of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, and House Democrats James E. Clyburn and Raja Krishnamoorthi write that they’ve obtained documents from contractors involved in the campaign.
The documents purport to list a number of different celebrities who were apparently considered to star in a potential PSA. Additionally, each name is accompanied by that celebrity’s political beliefs, including whether they supported former President Barack Obama or gay rights.
Eilish was among the celebrities considered, but, as The Washington Post reported, she was “described as ‘not a Trump supporter’ and ‘destroying our country and everything we care about.'”
This led other outlets to report that the Trump administration was referring to Eilish as “destroying our country and everything we care about.” However, in the actual letter, which was published on the House Committee on Oversight and Reform’s website, the document describes Eilish as “not a Trump supporter, stated he is ‘destroying our country and everything we care about,'” meaning she said the “destroying our country” part about Trump, not the other way around.
Indeed, Eilish said “Donald Trump is destroying our country and everything we care about” during her appearance at the Democratic National Convention over the summer.
Other celebrities that were apparently considered and rejected for the campaign include Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Taylor Swift, Eminem, Jack Black and Cardi B.
By Josh Johnson
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