Musicians Who Slammed Trump For Using Their Songs Without Permission

Since the fateful day in 2015 that he descended the golden escalator at Manhattan's glitzy Trump Tower to declare his candidacy for president of the United States, Donald Trump has demonstrated his skills as a showman, honed by years on reality television. Nowhere has this been more evident than during his bombastic campaign rallies, and music has played big role.

When it comes to that music, Trump rallies have leaned heavily into classic rock — no doubt reflecting the musical tastes of the septuagenarian president. Give his polarizing presidency, it shouldn't be surprising that not all the artists whose music is played during these rallies are thrilled about it; however, as Forbes pointed out, so long as the campaign pays to license those songs, there's not a whole lot they can to do stop it. 

Yet that doesn't change the fact that a lot of these musicians have become so irked to learn their music is being played at Trump's rallies that they've have issued indignant statements, written angry letters, and even threatened lawsuits over the Trump campaign's unauthorized use of their music. Read on to find out about the many musicians who slammed Trump for using their songs without permission. 

A 2015 campaign rally featured R.E.M.'s "It's the End of the World as We Know It (and I Feel Fine)" blaring from speakers as Donald Trump walked to his onstage podium. R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe voiced his displeasure on social media. "Go f**k yourselves, the lot of you — you sad, attention-grabbing, power-hungry little men," Stipe declared in a two-part tweet via the account of bass player Mike Mills, warning Trump not to use his music "for your moronic charade of a campaign."

That request was ignored, as was a statement the band issued via Facebook. In the post, R.E.M. made it clear they "do not authorize or condone the use of our music at this political event" and implored readers to "not allow grandstanding politicians to distract us from the pressing issues of the day and of the current Presidential campaign." In January 2020, Mills followed up with another tweet claiming they're "exploring all legal avenues" and that they "do not condone the use of our music by this fraud and con man."

Appearing on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Stipe shared a run-in he'd had with Trump in the late 1990s, in the VIP section of a small venue where Patti Smith was performing. Trump, Stipe explained, was "very disruptive and rude" as he loudly blabbed to his date throughout the performance. Trump finally beat it after Stipe told him to "shut up."

When Sir Elton John learned that Donald Trump was playing his iconic hit "Tiny Dancer" at his rallies (an odd choice to pump up a crowd, but whatever), the legendary rocker shut that down quickly. "Elton's music has not been requested for use in any official capacity by Donald Trump," his publicist said in a February 2017 statement, reported The Telegraph. "Any use of his music should not be seen as an endorsement of Donald Trump by Elton." 

Awkwardly, just a month earlier he refuted claims he'd be performing at Trump's inauguration. "Elton John is going to be doing our concert on the mall for inauguration," Anthony Scaramucci, who was then a member of Trump's presidential inaugural committee, told BBC HARDtalk. However, the rocker's publicist set the record straight. "Incorrect. He will NOT be performing," the publicist said in a definitive statement to The New York Times. The Trump administration continues to use John's music: In August 2020, Ivanka Trump walked out to "I'm Still Standing" at the RNC.

"I don't really want my music to be involved in anything to do with an American election campaign. I'm British," Sir Elton explained in a 2016 interview with The Guardian. "I'm not a Republican in a million years," he added. "Why not ask Ted f**king Nugent?"

The Stones weren't the only classic rockers to be ticked off about their music used at the 2016 Republican National Convention. One of the RNC's most grandiose moments occurred when Donald Trump made his entrance amidst clouds of fake smoke while Queen's "We Are the Champions" blasted. 

Trump had been using the song at his rallies throughout that summer, which caused consternation for Queen guitarist Brian May. In a statement on his website, May confirmed "that permission to use the track was neither sought nor given," and that he and the rest of the band were "taking advice on what steps we can take to ensure this use does not continue." In addition, May also responded to a fan's letter informing him that Trump was using the song during televised rallies, insisting he and the band were exploring what steps they can take "to dissociate ourselves from Donald Trump's unsavory campaign."

However, it seems that Queen has had little luck getting Trump to stop using the song. In a 2020 BBC News report, Queen's management stated the band has "repeatedly taken issue with the Trump campaign," but admitted it had been an "uphill battle."

Aerosmith's "Dream On" was a favorite song choice during Donald Trump's 2015 campaign rallies. This irked frontman Steven Tyler — so much so that his lawyer issued not one but two cease-and-desist orders to Trump's campaign. As CBS News reported, Tyler's second letter stated that the campaign does "not have our client's permission to use 'Dream On'" and that playing it at rallies provides "the false impression that [Tyler] is connected with or endorses Mr. Trump's presidential bid." 

According to the Boston Globe, Tyler devised a clever way to bar Trump from using the song by having Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI) — the organization that coordinates licensing of music — pull all public performance rights for "Dream On," meaning that Trump nor anyone else could legally use it in a live setting.

Tyler entered into a similar battle with the Trump campaign in 2018 when another Aerosmith song, "Livin' on the Edge," was played at a rally. According to Variety, Tyler's lawyer fired off another cease-and-desist, noting this "violation" was even "more egregious" given "that Mr. Trump's use of our client's music was previously shut down, not once, but two times" back in 2015. 

In October 2018, a Philadelphia synagogue was the site of a horrific shooting that left 11 people dead. Hours later, Trump staged a rally in Indiana. Among the songs played was Pharrell Williams' infectious hit "Happy" — an arguably jarring song choice on the day of such a tragic incident. In reporting on the event, The Washington Post described the rally's "incongruous feel of a somber tribute to yet another mass shooting in America and a campaign rally complete with cheers, put-downs and an upbeat soundtrack, including a version of the song 'Happy' by Pharrell."

Williams instructed his lawyers to send Trump a cease-and-desist letter. "On the day of the mass murder of 11 human beings at the hands of a deranged 'nationalist,' you played his song 'Happy' to a crowd at a political event in Indiana," wrote lawyer Howard King, reported The Hollywood Reporter. "There was nothing 'happy' about the tragedy inflicted upon our country on Saturday and no permission was granted for your use of this song for this purpose."

Leonard Cohen's classic "Hallelujah" is one of the world's most-covered songs, with numerous singers having performed the track over the years. It was a performance of the song at the 2020 Republican National Convention, however, that angered the heirs of the Canadian singer-songwriter — particularly since Cohen's estate had already denied a request to use the song during the convention. 

"We are surprised and dismayed that the RNC would proceed knowing that the Cohen Estate had specifically declined the RNC's use request, and their rather brazen attempt to politicize and exploit in such an egregious manner 'Hallelujah,'" said the Cohen estate's attorney, Michelle L. Rice, in a statement to USA Today. Rice concluded her statement with a dig at Donald Trump. "Had the RNC requested another song, 'You Want it Darker,' for which Leonard won a posthumous Grammy in 2017, we might have considered approval of that song." 

A few months after Cohen's 2016 death, his son, Adam Cohen, told Canadian Press that his father had predicted Trump would be elected, "which of course made us all laugh hysterically." At the time, he attributed the prediction to his terminally ill dad's considerable intake of medical marijuana.