Years after Neil Young first sued Donald Trump for playing “Rockin’ in the Free World’ at political rallies, the rocker is once again taking the president’s team to court for using the 1989 hit without a license.
Young sued Trump’s political action committee, Trump 47 Committee Inc., for copyright infringement on Monday (Oct. 26). The lawsuit, obtained by Billboard, seeks $10 million in damages for the use of “Rockin’ in the Free World” as Trump’s walk-up song at an Oct. 12 rally for the upcoming midterm elections in Youngstown, Ohio.
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“’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,” reads Young’s lawsuit. “The lyrics 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. In short, the song is the opposite of everything that Donald J. Trump stands for.”
Young claims he did not, and never would, grant Trump’s PAC a public performance license to use his song. The rocker says Trump should have known this was illegal because Young previously sued Trump’s campaign for the same thing during his 2020 presidential run. According to Young, Trump’s campaign quickly settled the 2020 lawsuit and promised that “it would never again use ‘Rockin’ in the Free World’ without a license and permission from Young.”
Now, since Trump is allegedly once again playing Young’s music without permission, the musician wants a legal injunction preventing further misuse. He’s also seeking hefty financial damages.
“Among other things, Young has suffered damage to his reputation and brand as a result of the implication that he supports Donald J. Trump in any way,” write Young’s lawyers.
The White House did not immediately return a request for comment on the lawsuit Monday.
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Young is far from the only artist to challenge Trump for using their music at rallies. Scores of musicians have gone public with their distaste for the practice ever since Trump entered politics in 2016, and Young isn’t the only one who’s sued. In 2024, both The White Stripes and the estate of Isaac Hayes initiated lawsuits over Trump’s use of the songs “Seven Nation Army” and “Hold On, I’m Coming.” The White Stripes suit was quickly dropped, and the Hayes estate settled this year.
During Trump’s second term in office, his administration has also been beefing with pop stars like Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Rodrigo and Ariana Grande over the use of their music in TikTok and Instagram posts. Many of these posts have been videos promoting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s deportation agenda under Trump.
