Rock legend Neil Young has slapped a Trump fundraising committee with a $10 million lawsuit over the use of his song, “Rockin’ in the Free World,” at an Ohio rally this month. According to the five-page filing obtained by Rolling Stone, Trump was “personally aware that a license would be required” to play the song at an event, and he also knew Young “has not and would not grant the required license.” The unauthorized use happened despite a prior lawsuit and 2020 settlement in which Trump allegedly agreed never to use Young’s music without permission, the new complaint states. (Trump is not named as an individual defendant in the Monday complaint.) “‘Rockin’ in the Free World’ is a blistering anthem that contrasts the hollow promises of American political rhetoric with the harsh realities faced by the poor, homeless, and forgotten,” Young and his lawyers, Robert Besser and Scott Simmons, wrote in the new complaint. Trump stands for.” There was no immediate answer to a request for comment sent to the White House, the Trump 47 Committee, and the Republican National Committee, which partnered with Trump to create the joint fundraising committee.
Young’s legal sparring with Trump dates back to 2015, when Trump used the track during his now infamous Trump Tower announcement that he was running for president. Young immediately condemned the move. Number Two Ethan Klein Confirms He'll ‘Remove Ownership’ From ‘H3 Podcast’ After Wife Accuses Him of Cheating Young, 80, filed the latest lawsuit in federal court in Virginia, where the fundraising committee is based.
He said the song was played on Oct. 12 at a rally in Youngstown, Ohio, where Trump made a speech. Young is far from the only artist to challenge Trump over the use of music at his political events. The White Stripes, Rihanna, Axl Rose, Pharrell Williams, Linkin Park, and the estates of Tom Petty and Sinéad O’Connor have all publicly objected to his use of their songs.
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