It’s generally good practice to check with an artist before you make use of their work publicly. It’s a legal must in film, TV, and commercials—including political ads. Unfortunately, Donald Trump is not known for taking legality all too seriously.
And so, on Monday, September 9, Jack White and Meg White—better known as the rock band The White Stripes—announced they are suing Trump for placing their song “Seven Nation Army” in a promotional video.
Specifically, The White Stripes are suing Trump, his political campaign, and one of Trump’s top campaign officials. The video in question was posted X/Twitter and other social media platforms, with “Seven Nation Army” backdropping Trump getting on a plane. It was specifically used ahead of rallies in Wisconsin and The White Stripes’ home state of Michigan, which is just dirty.
“This machine sues fascists,” Jack White posted on Instagram. He’s referencing legendary singer-songwriter Woody Gutherie, whose guitar famously sported the phrase, “This machine kills fascists.” Gutherie began the practice in 1943, during World War II.
Another addition to the list
The White Stripes are not the first musicians to sue Donald Trump for using their music without permission, and they certainly will not be the last. Celine Dion recently filed a lawsuit against Trump and his campaign for using “My Heart Will Go On” during a rally in Montana. In the same week, the family-run estate of the late Isaac Hayes also sued Trump for using Hayes’ song “Hold On, I’m Coming” at rallies.
This all comes under copyright law. Assuming Trump did not obtain a license to use these songs, these artists have a legitimate case and will likely win their lawsuits. Legally, it’s like if Trump brought out a giant version of Bluey to hype up the crowd at his rallies.
There’s a whole slew of other artists who are not suing Trump, but have issued statements saying the use of their songs was not authorized and demanding the campaign stop using them. The list is so long that Newsweek published an entire listicle about it. Highlights include ABBA, Beyoncé, Aerosmith, Linkin Park, Panic! At The Disco, Rihanna, The Rolling Stones, the Village People (for “YMCA,” of course), and many, many more.
And remember when Elton John and others refused to play his inauguration? Classic.
That’s not even getting into how Trump used AI deepfakes of Taylor Swift to promote his campaign. Incidentally, the real Taylor Swift cited the AI debacle in her endorsement of Kamala Harris.
Power to all these artists for wresting their work away from Trump’s greasy hands. You could even say a seven nation army couldn’t hold them back.
Published: Sep 12, 2024 10:50 am