At a rally in support of Donald Trump on Friday night, failed presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appeared on stage and played the Foo Fighters’ song “My Hero.”
Foo Fighters were quick to condemn the use of their song. When a Twitter account tagged the band and asked if they “had allowed Trump to use ‘My Hero’ to welcome RFK Jr. to the stage,” the band bluntly replied, ‘No.'” A representative for Foo Fighters expressed a similar message when asked by for comment. Consequence: “The Foo Fighters were not asked for permission, and if they had been, they would not have given it.”
What legal options the Foo Fighters have is unclear, as Trump’s campaign is covered by extensive ASCAP and BMI licenses. Over the years, many artists have obtained cease-and-desist orders against Trump for unauthorized use of their music, but few – like Neil Young – have taken the step of filing suit.
While Trump regularly uses music from artists who want nothing to do with him at his campaign rallies, the Democrats took a different approach for 2024 and preemptively obtained permission from the artists. Kamala Harris uses “Freedom” by Beyoncé as her official theme song and her running mate Tim Walz received permission to use “Rockin’ in the Free World” by Neil Young.”
At a rally in support of Donald Trump on Friday night, failed presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. performed “My Hero” by the Foo Fighters.@FooFighters say that Trump and Kennedy used the song without their permission.pic.twitter.com/7ASGsPtcsY
— CONSEQUENCE (@consequence) 24 August 2024
