Jack White Threatens Lawsuit Against Trump Campaign Over White Stripes Song

Jack White just joined a long list of celebrity musicians who are not happy with Donald Trump’s campaign team for using their songs.

In an Instagram post on Thursday, the prolific musician, actor, and White Stripes frontman held nothing back in his criticism over a video that made unauthorized use of his song “Seven Nation Army” saying, “Oh… Don’t even think about using my music you fascists.”

White continued, “Lawsuit coming from my lawyers about this (to add to your 5 thousand others.) Have a great day at work today Margo Martin. And as long as I’m here, a double f— you DonOLD for insulting our nation’s veterans at Arlington you scum. You should lose every military family’s vote immediately from that if ANYTHING makes sense anymore.”

White’s caption accompanied a video first posted to X by Trump communications director Margo Martin, which depicted the Presidential candidate deboarding a plane to the White Stripes song “Seven Nation Army.” The original post has since been deleted.

This isn’t White’s first time voicing criticism of the former President. In 2023, he called out celebrities Mark Wahlberg, Joe Rogan, Mel Gibson, and Guy Fieri for socializing with Trump during UFC 290 in Las Vegas. “Anybody who ‘normalizes’ or treats this disgusting fascist, racist, con man, disgusting piece of shit Trump with any level of respect is ALSO disgusting in my book,” he wrote on Instagram.

In fact, it isn’t the first time White has had to demand the removal of a White Stripes song from Trump promotional material. In 2016, the musician joined former bandmate Meg White in calling out a pro-Trump web video for the unauthorized use of – again – “Seven Nation Army.” Following that clash, the Whites began selling anti-Trump merchandise that read “Icky Trump” (a reference to their 2007 song/album “Icky Thump”) on the front, and on the back, in part, “Why don’t you kick yourself out? You’re an immigrant too.”

The Trump campaign, meanwhile, has been inundated with demands, cease-and-desists, and formal lawsuits since 2015 regarding their use of music at campaign events and in promotional material. This month alone, Foo Fighters (“My Hero”), Beyoncé (“Freedom”), and ABBA (several hits) have all contested the use of their songs in Trump media.

Add them to the laundry list, which includes Queen, Nickelback, Rihanna, Pharrell, Adele, Neil Young, Steven Tyler, R.E.M., Rolling Stones, Prince, the Village People, and more.

The Trump campaign has not yet responded to White’s criticism or his threat of legal action. In the past, his campaign has usually quietly deleted media which made unauthorized use of songs and moved on. In some cases, however, they’ve pushed back. Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung recently alleged that the campaign had in fact secured proper permissions to use the Foo Fighters’ “My Hero” at a rally in Glendale, Ariz.

Cheung also threatened to sue filmmaker Ali Abbasi and his production team on behalf of Trump in May over the film The Apprentice, an inside look at Trump’s rise in NYC real estate in the late 1970s and early ’80s. The film premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival and stars Sebastian Stan as Trump.