Madonna has slammed Donald Trump for refusing to acknowledge World AIDS Day

Madonna wrote in an Instagram post: "Today is World AIDS Day. For four decades, this day has been internationally recognised around the world by people from all walks of life, because millions of people's lives have been touched by the HIV crisis.

"People have lost lovers and husbands and wives and girlfriends and boyfriends and mothers and daughters and children to this deadly disease, of which there is still no cure."

Madonna then expressed her disappointment at the Trump administration's silence - the first time that the US government has failed to commemorate the day since it began back in 1988.

The 67-year-old singer said: "Donald Trump has announced that World AIDS Day should no longer be acknowledged.

"It's one thing to order federal agents to refrain from commemorating this day, but to ask the general public to pretend it never happened is ridiculous, it's absurd, it's unthinkable.

"I bet he's never watched his best friend die of AIDS, held their hand, and watched the blood drain from their face as they took their last breath at the age of 23."

The Queen of Pop continued: "The list of people that I have known and loved and lost to AIDS is pretty long. I'm sure many of you out there can relate.

"Let me say it one more time - there still isn't a cure for AIDS and people still die from it. I refuse to acknowledge that these people have died in vain. And I will continue to honour World AIDS Day, and I hope you will honour it with me."

Madonna previously hit out at Trump's administration for "slowly dismantling" the "freedoms" of LGBTQ+ people in the United States.

Along with the LGBTQ+ rainbow flag and a broken heart emoji, the Vogue singer wrote on X in January: "It's so sad to watch our new Government slowly dismantling all the Freedoms we have been fighting for and WON over the years.

"Don't give up the Fight!"