The Foo Fighters have become the latest musical act to clash with former President Donald Trump's campaign over unauthorized use of their music. The dispute arose after Trump played the band's hit song "My Hero" during a rally in Arizona on Friday.
A spokesperson for the Foo Fighters told CBS News on Saturday, "Foo Fighters were not asked permission and if they were, they would have not granted it." The band went further, stating that any royalties received from the Trump campaign's use of the song would be donated to the campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris and Gov Tim Walz.
The incident occurred as Trump welcomed former independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr to the stage at the Arizona event. Kennedy had earlier announced his withdrawal from the presidential race and subsequent endorsement of Trump. The Republican nominee lauded Kennedy, saying he would "have a huge influence on this campaign."
Responding to inquiries on social media platform X, the Foo Fighters' account emphatically stated "No" when asked if they had allowed Trump to use "My Hero" to welcome Kennedy on stage. The account later shared this exchange, adding: "Let us be clear."
This episode is the most recent in a series of conflicts between the Trump campaign and various musical artists over unauthorized use of their songs.
Earlier this week, Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Chueng posted a video on X featuring the former president disembarking from a plane to the soundtrack of Beyonce's "Freedom." Billboard reported that the singer's record label and music producer promptly issued a cease-and-desist notice, leading Cheung to remove the video.
On August 11, the estate of late soul singer Isaac Hayes threatened legal action against the Trump campaign for continued use of Hayes' song "Hold On, I'm Coming" at rallies. The estate demanded $3 million in licensing fees, citing 134 unauthorized uses of the song at campaign events since 2022.
Simultaneously, representatives for Canadian singer Celine Dion declared that the campaign's use of her 1997 hit "My Heart Will Go On" at a recent rally was "unauthorized" and lacked her permission. Dion's team added a pointed comment in their statement: "And really, THAT song?"
