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Trump Campaign Pulls Video Using Beyoncé’s ‘Freedom’ After Legal Threats
Aug
Former President Donald Trump‘s campaign was forced to remove a video featuring Beyoncé’s song “Freedom” after facing legal threats from the singer’s record label and music publisher. According to a report from Rolling Stone on Wednesday, the video, which was posted on Twitter by Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung, showed Trump disembarking from a plane in Michigan with the “Lemonade” track playing in the background. The video, captioned “Touchdown in Michigan!! @realDonaldTrump,” has since been deleted.
Beyoncé’s “Freedom,” a powerful anthem from her 2016 Lemonade album, has become an unofficial campaign song for Vice President and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris. Beyoncé’s team had previously granted Harris’ campaign permission to use the track, which has been featured in various campaign events, including Harris’ first appearance after receiving President Joe Biden’s endorsement and a recent campaign ad narrated by Jeffrey Wright.
The Trump campaign’s unauthorized use of the song sparked swift action from Beyoncé‘s representatives, who reportedly threatened to send a cease-and-desist letter, leading to the video’s removal.
This incident is not an isolated case for the Trump campaign, which has a history of using music without permission. Earlier this month, the estate of Isaac Hayes took legal action against the campaign for its repeated use of “Hold On, I’m Coming” at rallies. Similarly, Celine Dion publicly criticized Trump for using a video of her performing “My Heart Will Go On” without her consent.
In April, the estate of Sinéad O’Connor condemned the campaign for playing her iconic song “Nothing Compares 2 U” at multiple events, stating that O’Connor would have been “disgusted, hurt, and insulted” by the misuse of her work.
Other artists who have spoken out against Trump for using their music without authorization include Pharrell Williams, Adele, Aerosmith, Neil Young, Rihanna, and the families of Tom Petty, Prince, and George Harrison. Despite these numerous objections, the Trump campaign has continued to use many of these songs at its events.
Representatives for both Trump’s campaign and Beyoncé have yet to comment on the matter.
