Foo Fighters Denounce Trump’s Use of ‘My Hero’ at Rally, Royalties to Be Donated to Harris Campaign

Donald Trump’s use of the Foo Fighters’ 1997 anthem “My Hero” to introduce Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at a rally in Glendale, Arizona, on August 23 has been met with strong disapproval from the band. Trump played the song after Kennedy suspended his independent presidential campaign and endorsed the Republican nominee. However, Foo Fighters had not authorized the use of their song.

A Foo Fighters spokesperson told Billboard that the band did not receive a request for permission to use “My Hero,” and they would have denied it if asked. The spokesperson also confirmed that the band is taking “appropriate actions” against the Trump campaign and will donate any royalties from the unauthorized use to the Harris/Walz campaign.

Before the song played, Trump described Kennedy as “very low-key” and “highly respected” during his introduction. The chorus of “My Hero” then blared as Kennedy joined Trump onstage, accompanied by a row of flash pots.

When the X account “Wu-Tang Is for the Children” asked on social media if the band had permitted Trump to use their song, the Foo Fighters account simply responded, “No.” They emphasized their position by adding, “Let us be clear.”

This incident marks the second time this week and the third time this month that Trump’s campaign has faced backlash for using music without permission. On August 22, Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung posted a 13-second video on his X account. The video showed Trump stepping off a plane while Beyoncé’s “Freedom” played. Trump’s campaign posted this video after the Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris had been using the song legally for weeks. Beyoncé’s record label and music publisher issued a cease-and-desist notice, resulting in the video’s removal from Cheung’s account.

Earlier

On August 11, the estate of Isaac Hayes filed a notice of copyright infringement against Trump’s campaign. They threatened further legal action for using Hayes’ song “Hold On, I’m Coming” at multiple rallies without authorization from 2022 to 2024.

The Trump campaign has not yet responded to requests for comment on these issues.

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