Former President Donald Trump’s campaign has stated that it had obtained [1] the necessary license to play the Foo Fighters’ hit song “My Hero” during a rally in Arizona, where Robert F. Kennedy Jr. endorsed Trump after suspending his own independent presidential bid.
So the Trump campaign actually did have the appropriate license and @foofighters [2] are just either completely unaware about their own music licensing agreements or intentionally being disingenuous. https://t.co/Pxu3FOE18w [3] pic.twitter.com/3yDQTk8LYx [4]
— ALX 🇺🇸 (@alx) August 25, 2024 [5]
The campaign’s claim comes amid controversy, as the Foo Fighters have publicly denied granting permission for the song’s use.
The Trump campaign provided documents indicating that they had secured a license through BMI’s Songview service, which authorizes the use of the song. “We have a license to play the song,” a campaign spokesperson confirmed.
🚨 NEW: The Foo Fighters LIED about Trump not having permission to use “My Hero” while introducing RFK Jr
Trump should SUE these leftist hacks for defamation.
The Trump campaign actually DID license the song through BMI’s Songview service, as confirmed by documents provided to… pic.twitter.com/GmhxGwn7q0 [6]
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) August 25, 2024 [7]
Original article below:
Former President Donald Trump’s campaign is facing backlash [8] once again for using popular songs at rallies without obtaining permission from the artists.
Let us be clear. pic.twitter.com/gexHWjPMYh [9]
— Foo Fighters (@foofighters) August 24, 2024 [10]
The latest incident occurred yesterday, during a rally in Glendale, Arizona, where Trump played the Foo Fighters’ 1997 hit “My Hero” to welcome Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to the stage after Kennedy announced his endorsement of Trump.
The unauthorized use of the song has sparked a strong response from the band.
The Foo Fighters quickly responded, stating that they had not been asked for permission to use “My Hero” and would not have granted it if they had been.
UNITE AMERICA.#RFKJr [11] #trump [12] pic.twitter.com/f5NXgxdRJs [13]
— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) August 24, 2024 [14]
A spokesperson for the band told Billboard that “appropriate actions are being taken” against the Trump campaign.
Additionally, the band announced [15] that any royalties generated from the use of their song at the rally would be donated to the Harris/Walz campaign, further intensifying the dispute.
Trump introduced Kennedy at the rally with a touch of irony, saying, “I don’t think too many of you people have heard of him, he’s very low-key… He is a great person. I’ve known him for so long. For the past 16 months. Robert F. Kennedy Jr.” The chorus of “My Hero” then played as Kennedy joined Trump on stage, accompanied by pyrotechnics.
WATCH 🔥
RFK Jr’s EPIC entrance to President Trump’s rally in Arizona after endorsing Trump pic.twitter.com/iL4RMlKK4D [16]
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) August 23, 2024 [17]
The Foo Fighters were not the only artists to take issue with Trump’s use of their music. Earlier in the same week, on August 22, Beyoncé’s record label and music publisher sent a cease-and-desist notice [18] to the Trump campaign after a video was posted on Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung’s X account.
The video featured footage of Trump stepping off a plane set to Beyoncé’s song “Freedom.” The song had been used with permission by Trump’s opponent, Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, as part of her campaign.
After receiving the notice, the video was removed from Cheung’s account.
This marks the third time in August that Trump’s campaign has encountered legal challenges over unauthorized music use.
On August 11, the estate of the late Isaac Hayes filed [19] a notice of copyright infringement against the Trump campaign for its use of Hayes’ song “Hold On, I’m Coming” at multiple rallies between 2022 and 2024. The estate threatened further legal action if the unauthorized use continued.
