Donald Trump has drawn the ire of yet another artist over his unauthorized use of music, this time angering Foo Fighters after Trump played that band’s “My Hero” at an Arizona rally Friday.
At the campaign event, Trump revealed that independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had both suspended his campaign and endorsed the Republican nominee. As Kennedy Jr. was then welcomed to the stage, Foo Fighters’ 1997 hit played over the speakers.
When asked on social media whether the band granted permission for the “My Hero” usage, Foo Fighters simply stated, “No.” They reiterated that the track’s usage was unauthorized in a follow-up tweet:
UNITE AMERICA.#RFKJr #trump pic.twitter.com/f5NXgxdRJs
— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) August 24, 2024
A rep for the band confirmed to Billboard, “Foo Fighters were not asked permission, and if they were, they would not have granted it.” They added that the band would take “appropriate action” to prevent further “My Hero” usage, and that whatever royalties they earned from the Trump rally’s usage would instead be donated to the Kamala Harris and Tim Walz campaign.
Let us be clear. pic.twitter.com/gexHWjPMYh
— Foo Fighters (@foofighters) August 24, 2024
Trump’s latest music snafu comes just days after Beyoncé threatened a cease-and-desist against the Trump campaign after a 13-second video using her “Freedom” — also Harris’ unofficial campaign song — was posted on X by Trump spokesman Steven Cheung.
Dating back to when he first announced his presidential candidacy nearly a decade ago, Trump has been notorious for using music at his campaign rallies without the artists’ permission, with the former president receiving pushback and legal threats from dozens of musicians over the unauthorized usage of their songs.
