Disco icon Gloria Gaynor has been revealed as a MAGA donor following her surprise selection by President Donald Trump to receive a prestigious Kennedy Center honor.
Gaynor reportedly donated nearly $22,000 to prominent Republicans, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, Sen. Ted Cruz, Sen. Marsha Blackburn, and Sen. Josh Hawkley, between August 2023 and June 2025.
The 81-year-old singer, known for her hit, “I Will Survive,” which is considered an LGBTQ+ anthem, was among a handful of stage, screen, and music legends confirmed by Trump to be honored at this year’s ceremony.
After the announcement, many questioned if Gaynor, whose real name is Gloria Fowles, actually supported Trump and if she would be willing to reject the award to protest him. Many asked if Gaynor herself supported Trump as her partisan political leanings were not explicitly made public.
As MeidaNews reports, in 2016, Gaynor did denote $235.00 in support of Ben Carson, but, according to Federal Election Commission (FEC) donation records, didn’t donate politically for years afterwards.
Gaynor’s giving, according to FEC records, suggested the entertainer has become very political in 2023-2024, having donated multiple times to right wing candidates and groups totaling nearly $22,000. Republicans and groups who have benefited from Gaynor’s donations include:
- Mike Johnson – $2160.57
- Kevin McCarthy – $356.15
- The National Republican Senatorial Committee – $1190.53
- Marsha Blackburn – $2041.50
- Dave McCormick – $1223.05
- Josh Hawley – $1242.28
- Ted Cruz – $476.18
- Marco Rubio – $114.10
- Maria Elvira Salazar – $242.18
- Mazi Pilip – $682.28
- Elise Stefanik – $1173.05
- Nick Begich – $847.76
- Wesley Hunt – $868.00
- Jim Jordan – $1173.05
- Vivek Ramaswamy – $1219.14
- Nikki Haley – $1123.05
- Ben Carson – $235.00
- Steve Garvey – $1023.05
- Mayra Flores – $1123.05
- Daniel Norber – $1115.04
- Tayler Rahm – $1065.04
- Service and Honor / Jake Ellzey – $827.52
- New Journey PAC – $610.25
The Controversy
Since the revealing of Gaynor’s MAGA support, many social media users have expressed the hypocrisy her behavior. One user wrote on X, “So lemme get this straight, so the gays were booking Gloria Gaynor for years, in return that bi*** used the money that she made to donate to the Republican party. F— HER.”
Another X user wrote, “Gloria Gaynor built her legacy on “I Will Survive,” an anthem for queer resilience. Now she’s cashing MAGA checks and smiling for Trump at the Kennedy Center. That’s not survival. That’s selling out the very community that made you an icon.”
Even Ana Navarro, the Republican co-host of The View, made a public plea for Gaynor to reject the Kennedy Center invite due to Trump’s polarizing views and overhauling of the Kennedy Center’s board.
The “I Am What I Am” singer has not publicly commented about the Kennedy Center Honors or support of MAGA.