Judge Orders Trump to Stop Playing Isaac Hayes’ “Hold on, I’m Coming”

A federal judge in Atlanta has issued a ruling directing Donald Trump to stop using the song “Hold On, I’m Coming” at his campaign rallies. The order comes after the family of the late singer-songwriter Isaac Hayes claimed that the Trump campaign had used the song without proper authorization.

Judge Thomas Thrash Jr. announced the decision on Tuesday, stating, “I do order Trump and his campaign to not use the song without proper license,” according to information gathered by CNN. However, the judge denied a request from the Hayes estate to force the Trump campaign to remove any previous recordings of the song, which they alleged had been used multiple times at rallies and in campaign videos without permission.

Following the court session, Ronald Coleman, an attorney for Trump, expressed that the campaign had no intention of offending anyone. “If the Hayes family feels it hurts or annoys them, that’s fine, we’re not going to force the issue,” he stated.

Isaac Hayes III, the son of the late singer, expressed gratitude about the judge’s decision, calling it a positive outcome. He hopes this ruling encourages other artists to step forward if they wish to prevent their music from being used by Trump or other political entities.

On the previous day, Hayes III shared a letter from BMI, an organization that manages music licensing. The letter reportedly disputes claims made by Trump’s campaign regarding their licensing rights for the song. According to Hayes III, the Trump campaign has not held a valid BMI license for “Hold On, I’m Coming” for nearly 100 days, and Trump has never possessed one at all, despite previous assertions to the contrary.

The Hayes estate initiated their lawsuit against Trump last month, potentially seeking millions in royalties. They also included the Republican National Committee and the conservative group Turning Point USA in their legal action. The legal representatives for the Hayes family argued that Trump should be liable for $150,000 for each unauthorized use of the track, which they claim has occurred over 100 times.

In addition to pursuing licensing fees, the estate requested an official disclaimer stating that they have not authorized, endorsed, or permitted the use of any property associated with Isaac Hayes Enterprises at any time.

Isaac Hayes, who co-wrote the song with David Porter, passed away on August 10, 2008. “Hold On, I’m Coming” was first performed in 1966 by the duo Sam & Dave. The estate contends that they regained the copyright to the track in 2022 and that the Trump campaign has continued to use it without proper authorization.

After notifying Trump and his campaign of the copyright infringement on August 11, the Hayes family sought $3 million in licensing fees.

This case marks a significant legal pursuit as the Hayes estate is the first to formally challenge Trump regarding claims of unauthorized music usage. Other notable artists, including Beyoncé, Bruce Springsteen, Foo Fighters, and the estate of Prince, have also raised concerns over their music being used without appropriate licensing.