Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during the National Guard Association of the United States’ 146th General Conference & Exhibition at Huntington Place Convention Center on Aug. 26, 2024 in Detroit, Michigan.
Emily Elconin/Getty Images
Donald Trump is a lot of things, but he’s definitely not a stranger to cease-and-desists.
Over the course of the former POTUS’ political career, he’s managed to tick off a slew of musicians whose songs he’s used at events and in campaign materials, allegedly without receiving permission. In the span of just two weeks in August 2024, for instance, Beyoncé, Foo Fighters and Jack White all expressed their dismay at Trump’s team appearing to use their work without authorization — but it’s a tale as old as the billionaire’s initial presidential run in 2016, when he first became a lightning rod for disgruntled artists.
After spending the following four years in the White House, he ran for the role of commander in chief once again, but lost to President Joe Biden in 2020. Another four years later, he launched his third campaign, making for 12 years total of collecting slaps on the wrist from unhappy hitmakers. That’s not to say he isn’t duly supported by other musicians, though. Jason Aldean, Ye, Kid Rock and Sexyy Red are just a few big names who’ve endorsed Trump; however, his 2024 Democratic opponent Kamala Harris has also received an outpouring of support from the music industry’s leaders.
Whether they’ve made public statements of condemnation, threatened to take legal action or followed through with a lawsuit — or maybe even all of the above — many musicians have objected to Trump’s use of their work since he first rose to power. Keep reading to see a comprehensive list below, in alphabetical order:
-
Adele
Election Year: 2016
When Trump used “Rolling in the Deep” as his walk-on song at multiple campaign rallies in 2016, Adele’s spokesperson fired back with a statement to Billboard: “Adele has not given permission for her music to be used for any political campaigning.”
-
Beyoncé
Election Year: 2024
After Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung posted a video of Trump stepping off a plane to the song “Freedom” — which Kamala Harris’ campaign had already adopted as its theme song — Beyoncé’s team sent the Apprentice alum a cease-and-desist. It’s also worth noting that the vocalist approved Harris’ use of the track in her campaign endeavors.
-
Brendon Urie
Election Year: 2020
Brendon Urie was not having it when Trump used Panic! at the Disco’s “High Hopes” at a rally. “Dear Trump Campaign, F–k you,” he tweeted in response. “You’re not invited. Stop playing my song.”
-
Celine Dion
Election Year: 2024
After learning that Trump had used “My Heart Will Go On” — seemingly without considering that the ballad famously soundtracks Titanic, a film about one of the most famous failures in history — Celine Dion’s team made it clear that the vocalist hadn’t approved of the usage and poked fun at the irony of the situation. “In no way is this use authorized, and Celine Dion does not endorse this or any similar use,” it read. “…And really, THAT song?”
-
Earth, Wind & Fire
Election Year: 2016
Earth, Wind & Fire issued a brief, to-the-point statement after the house band at the 2016 Republican National Convention — where Trump formally accepted his nomination as the party’s candidate — played “September” without authorization. “Another unauthorized use (September) at the Republican Convention, against our wishes,” the band tweeted.
-
Foo Fighters
Election Year: 2024
When Trump played Foo Fighters’ “My Hero” while welcoming election dropout Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to the stage, the band tweeted that it hadn’t granted permission for the use. In a statement shared with Billboard, a spokesperson elaborated, “Foo Fighters were not asked permission, and if they were, they would not have granted it,” adding that “appropriate actions are being taken” and that any royalties received as a result of the campaign’s usage would be donated to the Harris-Walz campaign.
Shortly afterward, Trump’s team stated that they actually had obtained a license to play the song.
-
George Harrison
Election Year: 2016
George Harrison’s estate called Trump’s use of “Here Comes the Sun” at the 2016 Republican National Convention “offensive,” adding in a follow-up tweet: “If it had been Beware of Darkness, then we MAY have approved it! #TrumpYourself”
-
Guns N’ Roses
Election Year: 2020
Frontman Axl Rose had already been very open about his opposition to Trump when the latter’s campaign started using Guns N’ Roses’ “Sweet Child O’ Mine” at political functions. So when he became aware of the usage in 2018, he issued a lengthy statement on X blasting the then-president.
“GNR like a lot of artists opposed to the unauthorized use of their music at political events has formally requested r music not b used at Trump rallies or Trump associated events,” he wrote at the time. “Unfortunately the Trump campaign is using loopholes in the various venues’ blanket performance licenses which were not intended for such craven political purposes, without the songwriters’ consent. Can u say ‘s–tbags?!’”
-
Isaac Hayes
Election Year: 2024
In August 2024, Isaac Hayes’ estate sued Trump for using the late soul singer’s “Hold On, I’m Coming” without authorization at multiple rallies, after which a federal judge granted the plaintiffs an emergency hearing.
“Donald Trump, the RNC, Trump, Trump for President Inc. 2024, Turning Point and The NRA are required to appear in court September 3rd, 2024 at the Northern U.S. District Federal Court in Atlanta,” tweeted Hayes’ son, Isaac Hayes III. “See you in court.”
-
Jack White
Election Years: 2016, 2024
Jack White called out Trump for using The White Stripes’ music not once, but twice — and both times over the same song. In 2016, the Stripes responded to the politician’s use of “Seven Nation Army” in a campaign video by stating that they were “disgusted by this association.”
Eight years later, White again slammed Trump after the businessman’s deputy director of communications, Margo Martin, allegedly posted a video of him entering a plane as “Seven Nation Army” played. “Oh….Don’t even think about using my music you fascists,” he wrote. “Law suit coming from my lawyers about this (to add to your 5 thousand others.)”
-
Linkin Park
Election Year: 2020
A video ad posted by the White House’s then-director of social media, Dan Scavino, and retweeted by Trump, led Linkin Park to slap the former president’s team with a cease-and-desist thanks to its unauthorized use of “In the End.” The clip was also removed by X, citing a copyright complaint, while the band issued a statement distancing itself from Trump.
-
Neil Young
Election Years: 2016, 2020
After years of protesting Trump’s use of his music at campaign events starting in the 2016 election cycle, Neil Young finally sued the politician in August 2020 for allegedly playing “Rockin’ in the Free World” and “Devil’s Sidewalk” at a campaign rally without proper licensing. A couple months later, however, Trump lost his second White House bid, and Young decided to have the case dismissed.
-
Nickelback
Election Year: 2020
Nickelback seemingly took issue with Trump using “Photograph” in a video he posted on socials taking shots at future president Joe Biden, as the clip was removed from X and YouTube for copyright reasons. A spokesperson for X said at the time that the company responded “to valid copyright complaints sent to us by a copyright owner or their authorized representatives.”
-
Ozzy Osbourne
Election Year: 2020
Sharon Osbourne slammed Trump in a statement on behalf of her husband when the then-POTUS used “Crazy Train” in a video on X. “We are sending notice to the Trump campaign (or any other campaigns) that they are forbidden from using any of Ozzy Osbourne’s music in political ads or in any political campaigns,” she wrote at the time.
-
Pharrell
Election Year: 2020
Pharrell was not enthused when Trump played “Happy” at a rally in Indiana — hours after the Tree of Life Congregation shooting in Pittsburgh, no less — the hitmaker sent the republican a cease-and-desist letter through his lawyer. “There was nothing ‘happy’ about the tragedy inflicted upon our country on Saturday and no permission was granted for your use of this song for this purpose,” it read.
-
Prince
-
R.E.M.
Election Years: 2016, 2020
R.E.M. slammed Trump for playing “It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)” at a 2015 rally during his first run for president, then again when Trump used “Everybody Hurts” in a video posted on social media. By the time the billionaire played “Everybody Hurts” and “Losing My Religion” at his 2020 re-election gathering in Milwaukee, the band had had more than enough.
“We are exploring all legal avenues to prevent this, but if that’s not possible please know that we do not condone the use of our music by this fraud and con man,” bassist Mike Mills tweeted at the time.
-
Rihanna
Election Year: 2020
Rihanna made her stance on Trump using her 2007 single “Don’t Stop the Music” at one of his rallies very clear by issuing the following response on X: “me nor my people would ever be at or around one of those tragic rallies.”
-
Rolling Stones
Election Years: 2016, 2020
The Rolling Stones asserted their dislike of Trump using their music at campaign events multiple times throughout the politician’s 2016 run, but he continued playing tracks such as “Start Me Up,” “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” and “Brown Sugar.”
When Trump again played “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” at his Tulsa rally while running again in 2020, the rock legends ramped things up by threatening a lawsuit.
-
Tom Petty
Election Year: 2020
Donald Trump played Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down” at a rally, and the late rocker’s estate essentially said, “We’ll see about that.”
Issuing a cease-and-desist to the politician, Petty’s estate added in a statement that “Trump was in no way authorized to use this song to further a campaign that leaves too many Americans and common sense behind.”
-
Steven Tyler
Election Years: 2016, 2020
Steven Tyler has protested Trump’s use of Aerosmith music numerous times over the years, from threatening legal action twice over “Dream On” playing at multiple campaign events in 2015 — Trump claimed it had been legal for him to use, but promised to stop playing it — to blasting the then-president for playing “Livin’ on the Edge” at a rally in 2018.
“What makes this violation even more egregious is that Mr. Trump’s use of our client’s music was previously shut down, not once, but two times, during his campaign for presidency in 2015,” a letter from the rock star’s lawyers explained following the latter instance. “As we have made clear numerous times, Mr. Trump is creating the false impression that our client has given his consent for the use of his music, and even that he endorses the presidency of Mr. Trump.”
-
Queen
Election Year: 2016
Queen cautioned Trump against playing “We Are the Champions” at campaign events multiple times during the 2016 cycle, with guitarist Brian May at one point stating that “permission to use the track was neither sought nor given … we are taking advice on what steps we can take to ensure this use does not continue.”
Eventually, Sony/ATV Music Publishing issued a statement on behalf of the band. “Queen does not want its music associated with any mainstream or political debate in any country,” it read. “Nor does Queen want “We are the Champions” to be used as an endorsement of Mr. Trump and the political views of the Republican Party. We trust, hope and expect that Mr. Trump and his campaign will respect these wishes moving forward.”