From Halo to the Hill: Composer Martin O'Donnell Runs For Congress

Millions of Americans have grown accustomed to doing a double-take while scrolling through social media when they come across an image shared by the White House, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), or any other federal agency. When the White House shared an AI image over the weekend of President Donald Trump (R) as Master Chief, saluting the American flag in front of the White House, one of its defenders was Martin O’Donnell, the lead composer for the original Halo video game trilogy, and a Republican running for Congress in Nevada.

As the United States grapples with the War on Drugs, the war between Ukraine and Russia, and the war in the Middle East, one domestic war has seemingly come to an end – the console wars.

Crediting President Trump for ending the console wars, Xbox exclusives like Gears of War can now be played on the Playstation 5. Over the weekend, news of Halo: Campaign Evolved releasing on the Playstation 5 in 2026 shocked video game fans worldwide.

The White House and O’Donnell celebrated the news.

DHS subsequently shared another image of Halo with the caption “Destroy the Flood.” This time, however, the reference was more political than celebratory.

O’Donnell, who has championed President Trump’s hard-line immigration stance, praised the marketing, writing on social media, “when I defeat Susie Lee next year and get to Congress, I will work with the Trump administration to destroy the Flood once and for all!”

Despite helping compose the music of a generation, O’Donnell faces a challenge for Nevada’s 3^rd Congressional District.

He first ran in the Republican Primary for the 2024 midterm election. However, he lost to Drew Johnson (R), who then lost the election to Rep. Lee by a 51.4% to 48.6% vote.

Rep. Lee, the incumbent, now faces O’Donnell and 10 other opponents who wish to unseat her.

O’Donnell is hoping to claim Nevada’s 3^rd Congressional seat and represent the people of Nevada and the U.S. to develop a more resilient economy, securer borders, and opportunity while tackling spending and debt.

“If you’ve seen the White House’s Halo posting, you should know that the guy who composed its music (me!) is running for Congress to work with President Trump to defund the Covenant, destroy the Flood, and finish the fight (aka put America First!)” he shared on social media.

 

Image of Martin O'Donnell credit to Gage Skidmore.