Trump Campaign Clashes with Foo Fighters Over Unauthorized Use of ‘My Hero’
JOSE LUIS MAGANA/ASSOCIATED PRESS
The Trump campaign has pushed back against the Foo Fighters after the band claimed their 1990s anthem “My Hero” was used without permission at a recent rally. The controversy erupted after the song was played as former President Donald Trump welcomed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to the stage at a rally in Glendale, Arizona, last Friday.
The dramatic moment, complete with fireworks as Kennedy walked out to the song, quickly drew the ire of the band. Foo Fighters issued a stern response, asserting that the Trump campaign did not have their consent to use the track.
“Foo Fighters were not asked permission, and if they were, they would not have granted it,” a band spokesperson told Billboard on Friday night. The spokesperson added that “appropriate actions are being taken” against Trump’s campaign, and any royalties from the unauthorized use would be donated to the Harris-Walz campaign.
However, the Trump campaign was quick to counter these claims. “It’s Times Like These facts matter, don’t be a Pretender,” campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung wrote in a post on X over the weekend, directly addressing the band with a playful nod to some of their song titles.
Cheung, known for his strong rhetoric, also emailed The Hill on Monday, stating that the campaign does, in fact, have a license to play the song, suggesting that they were within their rights to use it.
The dispute highlights the ongoing tensions between musicians and political campaigns over the use of popular songs, particularly when the artists themselves do not support the political messages associated with their music. The Foo Fighters join a growing list of artists who have publicly objected to their work being used at Trump events.
As both sides dig in, the issue may escalate, with potential legal actions looming and the band’s commitment to donating any royalties potentially adding another layer to the dispute. For now, the clash between the Trump campaign and the Foo Fighters underscores the broader battle over music rights in the highly charged atmosphere of political campaigns.
