Article | December 1, 2025
Madonna Condemns Trump’s Move to Erase World AIDS Day, Citing Personal Loss
By Nicholas O'Connor
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On World AIDS Day, Madonna used her platform to speak out against former President Donald Trump after reports revealed that the U.S. government would no longer formally recognize the global day of awareness.
For decades, Madonna has been one of the most visible celebrities advocating for people living with HIV and honoring those lost to AIDS. On Monday, she marked World AIDS Day with a series of Instagram posts reflecting on the devastating reach of the epidemic, and sharply criticizing Trump’s decision to halt official federal recognition of the day.
World AIDS Day has been observed internationally since 1988 to honor the millions of people affected by HIV and AIDS. In her post, Madonna emphasized that the crisis is not a distant chapter of history but a lived reality for countless families and communities. She wrote about partners, friends, and children lost to a disease that still has no cure.
Madonna directly addressed Trump’s reported directive, which stemmed from a leaked email instructing CDC employees not to commemorate the day, news later confirmed by The New York Times. While the order applied to federal agencies, Madonna argued that attempting to minimize the day’s significance sends a dangerous message.
She accused Trump of lacking empathy and understanding, suggesting that someone who has never witnessed a loved one die from AIDS could not grasp the importance of remembrance. Her words referenced the painful experience of watching a close friend pass away at just 23 years old.
That friend was Martin Burgoyne, an artist and creative collaborator who died from AIDS-related complications in the mid-1980s. Madonna has repeatedly honored Burgoyne over the years, including during her recent Celebration Tour, where images of him were displayed onstage.
In her message, Madonna made clear that Burgoyne was far from the only person she lost to the epidemic. She stressed that people continue to die from AIDS today and that acknowledging World AIDS Day is a way of refusing to let those lives be forgotten.
“I will continue to honor World AIDS Day,” she wrote, urging others to do the same.
Trump’s approach stands in contrast to recent efforts under President Joe Biden, who last year welcomed panels from the AIDS Memorial Quilt to the White House for the first time. Meanwhile, Trump’s State Department defended its decision, arguing that symbolic observances are less effective than policy-based interventions. A spokesperson stated that the administration was focused on working directly with foreign governments to combat HIV/AIDS.
For Madonna, however, remembrance itself is an act of resistance, one thats rooted in love, grief, and the refusal to erase a history written in loss.
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