What the lawsuit alleges
Rock musician Neil Young filed a $10 million lawsuit on Monday over President Donald Trump's use of his song "Rockin' in the Free World" at campaign events, NBC News reported. The suit was filed in federal court in Virginia and accuses the Trump 47 Committee, a joint fundraising committee, of copyright infringement. It specifically mentions the song's use at an October rally in Ohio.
The five-page filing argues that the repeated use of the song has harmed Young's public standing. His lawyers wrote that the artist "has suffered damage to his reputation and brand as a result of the implication that he supports Donald J. Trump in any way," according to the complaint as quoted by NBC News.
How the filing describes the song
Much of the complaint is devoted to what the song is about. Young's lawyers call it "a blistering anthem that contrasts the hollow promises of American political rhetoric with the harsh realities faced by the poor, homeless and forgotten."
The filing also points to the lyrics. It says they "paint vivid street-level portraits — a mother discarding her baby, addicts lost in despair, garbage piling in the shadows of prosperity — while the repeated chorus delivers a savage irony, celebrating freedom that clearly isn't shared by all." The lawyers conclude that "the Song is the opposite of everything that Donald J. Trump stands for."
A second suit after 2020
The new case is not the first time Young has gone to court over the issue. He sued in 2020 over Trump's use of "Rockin' in the Free World" and another song, "Devil's Sidewalk." That suit was filed against Trump's presidential campaign. Young's team said it was settled shortly after it was filed.
NBC News reported that Young has also criticized the playing of his songs at the president's political events on other occasions.
Response and other artists' complaints
When NBC News asked for comment, the White House referred the outlet to the Republican National Committee. Neither an RNC spokesperson nor Trump 47 immediately responded to a request for comment.
Young's suit adds to a series of objections from musicians to the use of their work by Trump, his campaign or the White House. NBC News noted that Kesha said she did "NOT approve of my music being used to promote violence of any kind" after the White House used her music in a military-themed social media post. That post came just weeks before the start of the Iran war.
Olivia Rodrigo responded to the Trump campaign's use of her music in a video by writing, "Ew don't use my sound ever again ty." Last year, Sabrina Carpenter criticized a White House video about apparent immigration enforcement actions that used her music. She called it "evil and disgusting" and told the White House, "Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda."
