Appearing at a rally to endorse Donald Trump on Friday night, failed presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took the stage to Foo Fighters’ song “My Hero.”
Foo Fighters quickly denounced the use of their song. When a Twitter account tagged the band and asked if they had “let Trump to use ‘My Hero’ to welcome RFK Jr. on stage,” the band responded bluntly: ‘No.’” A representative for Foo Fighters offered a similar message when reached for comment from Consequence: “Foo Fighters were not asked permission, and if they were they would not have granted it.
Additionally, “appropriate actions” are being taken against Trump’s campaign, according the Foo Fighters’ spokesperson, and any royalties received from the song’s usage will be donated to Kamala Harris and Tim Walz’s campaign.
It’s unclear what legal options the Foo Fighters might have, as Trump’s campaign is covered by broad ASCAP and BMI licenses. Over the years, many artists have issued cease and desist orders against Trump for the unauthorized use of their music, but only a few — like Neil Young — have taken the step of filing a lawsuit.
While Trump routinely uses music at his rallies from artists who want nothing to do with him, the 2024 Democratic ticket took a different approach by preemptively seeking permission from artists. Kamala Harris is using Beyoncé’s “Freedom” as her official theme song, and her running mate, Tim Walz, received approval to use Neil Young’s ‘Rockin’ in the Free World.”
Appearing at a rally to endorse Donald Trump on Friday night, failed presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took the stage to Foo Fighters’ “My Hero.”@FooFighters say that Trump and Kennedy used the song without their permission.pic.twitter.com/7ASGsPtcsY
— CONSEQUENCE (@consequence) August 24, 2024
