Trump Campaign Criticizes Foo Fighters Over ‘My Hero’ Use at Rally

The Trump campaign has responded to the Foo Fighters over the disputed use of the song “My Hero” at a recent rally.

After former president Donald Trump played the band’s 1998 hit at a rally in Glendale, Ariz., to welcome Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s endorsement, the Foo Fighters said they did not give Trump’s team approval. Trump’s campaign insists they have legal approval to use the song despite the band’s claims.

“It’s Times Like These facts matter, don’t be a Pretender,” Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung tweeted at the Foo Fighters, referencing two of the band’s songs. The tweet responded to The Independent‘s report stating the campaign had licensed the song from BMI’s Songview service.

A Trump spokesperson told the outlet, “We have a license to play the song.”

However, the Foo Fighters stand firm on their stance against the Trump campaign using their song without authorization.

“Foo Fighters were not asked permission, and if they were they would not have granted it,” a representative for the band tells Entertainment Weekly. “Any royalties received as a result of this use will be donated to the Harris/Walz campaign.”

Representatives for the Trump campaign did not immediately respond to EW’s request for comment.

On Friday, the band’s official Twitter account posted a screenshot of an exchange with a user captioned “Let us be clear,” in response to being asked if they gave Trump permission to use the song. Their reply was simple: “No.”

Frontman Dave Grohl has previously expressed his disdain for Trump. “I am ashamed of our president. I feel apologetic for it when I travel,” Grohl remarked in a 2018 GQ profile, adding, “The thing about Trump that stings the most is this: He just seems like a massive jerk.”

The Foo Fighters performed at President Joe Biden’s inauguration in 2021 and criticized Republican presidential nominee John McCain’s 2008 campaign for using “My Hero.”

“It’s frustrating and infuriating that someone who claims to speak for the American people would repeatedly show such little respect for creativity and intellectual property,” the band said in a statement at the time. “The saddest thing about this is that ‘My Hero’ was written as a celebration of the common man and his extraordinary potential. To have it appropriated without our knowledge and used in a manner that perverts the original sentiment of the lyric just tarnishes the song.”

This is just the latest in a long list of musicians who have fought against Trump’s unauthorized use of music at events and rallies. Last week, Beyoncé’s record label reportedly threatened to send a cease-and-desist letter to the Trump team for using her song “Freedom” in a social media video, prompting the Trump campaign to delete the video. The song has become an anthem for Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign with her running mate Tim Walz, with Beyoncé’s team permitting Harris’ camp to use it.

Earlier this month, Isaac Hayes’ estate took legal action against the Trump campaign for its use of “Hold On, I’m Coming” at multiple Trump rallies over the last two years. Additionally, Celine Dion posted a statement on Instagram calling out the Republican candidate for playing a video of her performing “My Heart Will Go On” at a recent campaign stop without her permission.

In April, the estate of late Irish singer-songwriter Sinéad O’Connor criticized Trump for playing her 1990 hit “Nothing Compares 2 U” at several events. They stated, “it is no exaggeration to say that Sinéad would have been disgusted, hurt and insulted to have her work misrepresented in this way by someone who she herself referred to as a ‘biblical devil.'”

Other artists who have spoken out against Trump for using their music include Pharrell, Johnny Marr of the Smiths, Adele, Guns N’ Roses, Aerosmith, Neil Young, Rihanna, Ozzy Osbourne, Nickelback, Linkin Park, the Rolling Stones, Village People, Panic! at the Disco, Queen, R.E.M, and families of Tom Petty, Laura Branigan, Prince, and George Harrison. However, Trump has continued to play many of these songs without permission at his events.