Former President Donald Trump welcomed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. by playing Foo Fighters’ 1997 anthem “My Hero” at a rally on Friday, August 23 in Glendale, Arizona.
“I don’t think too many of you people have heard of him, he’s very low-key,” Trump stated as the chorus of “My Hero” started playing and Kennedy joined Trump onstage.
But the band claimed that Trump didn’t ask for permission to use the song.
“Foo Fighters were not asked permission, and if they were, they would not have granted it,” a spokesperson tells Billboard of the unauthorized usage.
Furthermore, “appropriate actions are being taken” against the campaign, the spokesperson continued, and any royalties received as a result of this usage will be donated to the Harris/Walz campaign.
Previously a short video clip on social media featured Trump disembarking from a plane with Beyoncé’s “Freedom” playing in the background. This comes after Trump’s opponent, Kamala Harris, had already been using the song with permission for weeks.
Foo Fighters were trolled
The Trump campaign has been slammed for using music without permission multiple times. The Independent reported that The Trump campaign did have permission to play “My Hero” at the rally. Some documents confirmed that Team Trump licensed the song from BMI’s Songview service.
A spokesperson for the former President of the United States and current GOP presidential nominee retaliated against the multiplatinum band following complaints from Dave Grohl and his band about the unauthorized use of their hit song “My Hero” at a weekend rally.
“It’s Times Like These facts matter, don’t be a Pretender,” Trump’s rep Steven Cheung wrote on X, copping the titles of two Foo tracks.
It’s Times Like These facts matter, don’t be a Pretender. @foofighters https://t.co/yutdFMKH2X pic.twitter.com/l6d6BSnDw2
— Steven Cheung (@TheStevenCheung) August 25, 2024
The Foo Fighters sold their rights to BMI but still threatened to sue the Trump campaign. It remains to be seen if the Trump campaign will try to sue the Foo Fighters for defamation.
