Foo Fighters Give Blunt 1-Word Reply to Trump Using Song for RFK Jr. Intro

Foo Fighters were adamant in their disapproval of former President Donald Trump using their song “My Hero” to introduce Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at an Arizona campaign rally on Friday.

Just hours after Kennedy suspended his independent presidential campaign and endorsed the GOP nominee, Trump introduced him as “highly respected” and a “great person” before Kennedy walked out to the band’s iconic 1998 track.

When asked by an X user named @WUTangKids if the band permitted Trump to use “My Hero” for RFK Jr.’s introduction, Foo Fighters responded with a single word: “No.” The band, whose founder Dave Grohl has previously referred to Trump as a “massive jerk,” later shared a screenshot of this response on their main account, adding, “Let us be clear.”

A spokesperson for Foo Fighters told Billboard on Friday that the Trump campaign did not seek permission to use the song and clarified that it “would not have been granted” if they had asked. The spokesperson also noted that “appropriate actions are being taken” against the Trump campaign and that any royalties the band receives from the unauthorized use would be donated to the Harris campaign.

Trump’s use of “My Hero” follows a series of incidents where various artists have objected to the unauthorized use of their music by his campaign. Recently, Beyoncé reportedly threatened to send a cease-and-desist letter to the Trump campaign for its unauthorized use of her song “Freedom,” a track she had approved for the Harris campaign.

Numerous artists have confronted Trump over the years for using their music without approval. Celine Dion was critical of Trump using “My Heart Will Go On” at a campaign rally earlier this month. Additionally, the family of the late Isaac Hayes threatened a copyright infringement lawsuit against Trump and his campaign for playing “Hold On, I’m Coming.”

Likewise, the estate of the late Sinéad O’Connor condemned him for using her performance of “Nothing Compares 2 U” at campaign rallies, demanding that Trump and his associates “desist from using her music immediately.” HuffPost has reached out to the Trump campaign for comment on the use of the Foo Fighters song but has not received a response.

Artists’ objections to politicians using their music without permission have been a recurring theme, particularly with Trump, who has faced similar backlash from other major music acts in the past.

Source: HuffPost, Billboard, and others