Gloria Gaynor exposed as MAGA donor after Trump taps her for Kennedy Center Honor

After being announced by President Donald Trump as a recipient of this year’s Kennedy Center Honor, Federal Election Commission records show disco legend Gloria Gaynor donated to several MAGA and conservative political campaigns.

The 81-year-old star, whose 1978 hit song “I Will Survive” has been an undisputable LGBTQ+ anthem for decades, was named among five honorees who will receive the prestigious Kennedy Center honor. The honor has been awarded to entertainers of American culture since 1978.

“My hope is that in accepting this honor, I can continue with the inspirational phenomenon that began with ‘I Will Survive,’” said Gaynor, who is a two-time Grammy Award winner from Newark, New Jersey. The Dance Music Hall of Famer added, “Sharing my music and art on a global level to provide encouragement, hope, empowerment, inspiration, understanding, and unity is the core of my purpose.”

According to a report by MeidasTouch, Gaynor, real name Gloria Fowles, has donated nearly $22,000 to right-wing candidates and conservative organizations between 2023 and 2024.

Gaynor’s donations to Republican campaigns include the National Republican Senatorial Committee ($1,190.53), House Speaker Mike Johnson ($2,160.57), former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy ($356.15), U.S. Senator Josh Hawley ($1,242.28), U.S. Senator Ted Cruz ($476.18), and Trump’s now-Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Marco Rubio ($114.10).

MeidasTouch’s investigation of Gaynor’s campaign donations showed she wasn’t very political until 2016, when she donated $235.00 in support of Ben Carson, who ran for president and later became Trump’s secretary of Housing and Urban Development during his first term. The singer did not donate politically again until 2023.

Gaynor also donated to New Journey PAC, a group that targets Black voters in support of MAGA candidates, including Trump and U.S. Congressman Byron Donalds, who is now running for Florida governor.

MeidasTouch noted that while Gaynor exclusively donated to Republicans, records show she has not directly donated to Trump’s campaigns. However, she did contribute to the campaigns of some of Trump’s opponents in the 2024 election: Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy.

While delivering a speech at the Library of Congress in 2017, Gaynor told an audience, “I’m really not a political person.” However, she added, “It’s a safe bet that a lot needs to change.”