Disco icon Gloria Gaynor has been revealed as a major MAGA donor following her surprise selection by President Donald Trump to receive a prestigious Kennedy Center honor.
The 81-year-old singer, whose best-known hit, “I Will Survive,” 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. It was initially unknown what Gaynor’s connection to the president was, and whether she would accept the honor.
However, the two-time Grammy winner has now confirmed she will indeed be accepting the award. “My hope is that in accepting this honor, I can continue with the inspirational phenomenon that began with ‘I Will Survive,’” she said Wednesday in a statement, per the Daily Mail.
“Sharing my music and art on a global level to provide encouragement, hope, empowerment, inspiration, understanding, and unity is the core of my purpose.”
It’s also been uncovered that Gaynor has donated nearly $22,000 to right-wing candidates and conservative organizations since 2023.
In FEC records first discovered by MeidasTouch and seen by The Independent, it shows that from 2023 to 2024, the singer — real name Gloria Fowles — gave significant contributions to several Republican politicians, including $476.18 to Texas senator Ted Cruz, $356.15 to disgraced former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, $2,160.57 to current Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, and $1,14.10 to Trump’s National Security Advisor Marco Rubio.
Other notable conservative figureheads who’ve benefited from Gaynor’s financial support are Trump’s former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley; his former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Ben Carson; and his 2024 presidential challenger, Ohio governor candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.
Records show that Gaynor has so far made four separate donations in 2025 to WinRed, an American fundraising platform for the Republican Party, endorsed by the Republican National Committee. Her first listed donation to WinRed dates back to August 29, 2023.
She has since consistently donated to the organization over the years, sometimes multiple times in one month. Most of her donations have ranged from 50 cents to $104.10.
The Independent has contacted Gaynor’s representative for comment.
When Trump, who controversially took over the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in February, announced Gaynor as one of the 2025 Kennedy Center honorees earlier this month, he lauded her career success.
“To have the two, top two, top of anything in that span of time, and with that kind of period between, is pretty amazing. But I will say that ‘I Will Survive’ is an unbelievable song,” he said. “I’ve heard it, you know, like everyone else here, thousands of times, and it’s one of those few that get better every time you hear it, and nobody can sing it like her.”
At the December ceremony, which will be held at the Kennedy Center Opera House in Washington, D.C, Trump is also expected to honor rock band KISS, action star Sylvester Stallone, British-born actor and singer Michael Crawford, and country music artist George Strait.
