R&B icon Eddie Levert Sr. has stirred debate online after posting a series of conflicting messages about whether he would perform at a party connected to President Donald Trump. The O’Jays frontman initially appeared to shut down the idea outright, only to follow up with comments that left fans uncertain about his final stance.
What did Eddie Levert Sr. say about performing for Donald Trump?
On Dec. 23, Levert took to Facebook to address rumors that the O’Jays were slated to perform at an upcoming event associated with Trump. He made it clear—at least at first—that he wanted no part of it.
“I don’t know if it’s true or not, but I heard that the O’JAYS ARE PERFORMING AT THE WHITE HOUSE,” Levert wrote. “IF THAT’S TRUE KNOW THAT I WANT BE THERE AND I HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. ALL MONEY AIN’T GOOD MONEY ESPECIALLY ORANGE MONEY!!! Y’ALL BE BLESSED”
Later that same day, he followed up to clarify that the event in question was not in Washington, D.C., but in Florida.
“IT’S NOT THE WHITE HOUSE IN DC ITS THE ONE IN FLORIDA MAR-A-LAGO I STILL AIN’T GOING,” he wrote.
The situation became murkier on Dec. 24, when Levert posted again—this time framing his decision less as a political stance and more as a professional one.
“I haven’t said anything bad about President Trump, but I have the right to refuse to perform at any function. That’s not paying me what I require,” he wrote.
What have the O’Jays said about Donald Trump in the past?
Levert’s comments contrast with remarks he made years earlier about Trump. In 2016, after the O’Jays’ classic “For the Love of Money” was used as the theme for Trump’s reality TV show The Apprentice, Levert spoke positively about Trump from a business standpoint.
“He’s not a bad paymaster. His check cleared,” Levert told Billboard in 2016.
That goodwill did not extend to politics. During Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, the O’Jays asked him to stop using their music, including “Love Train,” at campaign events.
“I wish him the best, but I don’t think he’s the man to run our country,” Levert said at the time, according to the Atlanta Black Star. “So when he started using ‘Love Train,’ I called him up and told them, ‘Listen, man, I don’t believe in what you’re doing. I’m not with you. I don’t want you to use my voice. I’m not condoning what you’re doing.’”
Levert’s recent posts suggest that, years later, his views remain complicated—balancing personal beliefs, professional boundaries, and public perception.
