WATCH: Spanish MEPs imitate Marilyn Monroe and sing “Happy Birthday, Mr. Genocide” to Trump in parliament
Spanish European Parliament member Aileen Montero attracted widespread attention after she sarcastically sang “Happy Birthday” to US President Donald Trump during a Middle East policy debate, ending with “Happy birthday, Mr. Genocide.”Montero, Spain’s former equality minister and representative of Spain’s left-wing Podemos party, used his speaking time to criticize EU foreign policy and confront EU foreign policy chief Kaya Callas.At the end of her speech, Montero switched to singing the song in English, prompting immediate comparisons online to Marilyn Monroe’s famous 1962 birthday performance for President John F. Kennedy, but she changed the standard lyrics to “Mr. Genocide.”Montero strongly questions whether Europe has anything to celebrate about the modern state of affairs in the Middle East. She demands to know whether the EU actually prevented disaster.“Have we stopped the illegal U.S. and Israeli aggression against Iran? Have we severed ties with Israel? Have we stopped the occupation of Lebanon? No, we cannot celebrate that,” she said.On Sunday, June 14, Trump gave a speech following the public celebration of his 80th birthday. Montero mocked his birthday celebration, calling it a “Roman Empire” style feast.The viral moment quickly sparked heated debate on social media. Supporters hailed it as a bold and necessary criticism of international foreign policy. Critics dismissed the performance as an empty political spectacle and noted that she spoke to a largely empty council chamber.Callas did not respond verbally to the song, remaining focused on her notes throughout the demo.
