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Donald Trump has once again come under fire for using a song at a campaign rally without a musician’s authorization — this time it’s the Foo Fighters objecting to the Republican’s use of their song, “My Hero.”
At an Arizona rally on Friday the song was played as independent Robert F. Kennedy Jr. joined Trump on stage hours after suspending his own presidential campaign and endorsing the former U.S. president and convicted felon.
“We are both in this to do what’s right for the country,” Trump said, later commending Kennedy for having “raised critical issues that have been too long ignored in this country.”
In response to an X post asking the band if they had let Trump use “My Hero” to welcome Kennedy on stage, they responded with a simple “No,” and later shared a screenshot of the interaction with the caption, “Let us be clear.”
Commenting on the Trump campaign’s use of “My Hero,” a spokesperson for the band said, “Foo Fighters were not asked permission, and if they were they would not have granted it.”
The spokesperson also confirmed any royalties received as a result of this usage will be donated to the presidential campaign of U.S. vice-president Kamala Harris.
This is not the first time Trump has used popular music for his campaign without permission.
Earlier this week, the Rolling Stone reported that Beyoncé threatened the Trump campaign with a cease-and-desist after the former president posted a video on social media which included a clip of her song “Freedom” — a song the singer gave permission to Harris to use in her campaign.
This was less than two weeks after Celine Dion called out Trump’s “unauthorized usage of the video, recording, musical performance and likeness” of Dion singing her 1997 hit “My Heart Will Go On” at a campaign rally for Trump and vice-presidential nominee Ohio Sen. JD Vance in Montana on Aug. 9.
Foo Fighters joins a long list of performers who’ve objected to Trump using their songs. Ahead of the 2020 election, artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Rihanna, Phil Collins, Pharrell, John Fogerty, Neil Young, Eddy Grant, Panic! at the Disco, R.E.M. and Guns N’ Roses objected to the former president using their music at public events.
It also includes the estates of deceased performers, too, like Leonard Cohen, Tom Petty and Prince, as well as English acts from across the pond, like the Rolling Stones, the Beatles and Adele.
With files from Nathan Bawaan and The Associated Press
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