Foo Fighters deny Trump permission to use “My Hero” at RFK Jr. rally

During a rally in Glendale, Arizona on Friday, Donald Trump invited “special guest” Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who made his entrance accompanied by the Foo Fighters’ song “My Hero.” This use of the song was unauthorized, according to the band.

Earlier in the day, Kennedy had suspended his presidential campaign and removed his name from ballots in crucial swing states. At the rally, he endorsed Trump, praising him as someone who could make America “healthy again.” This endorsement met with disapproval from many of Kennedy’s family, including his cousin Jack Schlossberg. Schlossberg expressed his dismay on social media, stating, “Never been less surprised in my life. Been saying it for over a year — RFK Jr. is for sale, works for Trump. Bedfellows and loving it. Kamala Harris is for the people — the easiest decision of all time just got easier.”

The use of the Foo Fighters’ song did not sit well with the band. X user @WUTangKids tagged the band in a video from the rally asking if they had approved the song’s use. The band simply replied, “No.”

A spokesperson for the Foo Fighters confirmed in a statement to Billboard, saying, “Foo Fighters were not asked permission, and if they were, they would not have granted it.” The spokesperson added that the band is taking “appropriate actions” against the Trump campaign and that any royalties from the unauthorized use will be donated to the Harris/Walz campaign.

“My Hero,” released in 1997 as part of the Foo Fighters’ album “The Colour and the Shape,” has often been speculated to be about Dave Grohl’s former Nirvana bandmate, Kurt Cobain. However, the band has never confirmed this. In a 1999 appearance on The Howard Stern Show, Grohl explained, “Errr, it’s kinda more about heroes that are ordinary,” highlighting his admiration for “regular people.”