Musicians Who’ve Slammed Donald Trump for Using Their Songs Without Permission

Donald Trump is a lot of things, but he’s definitely not a stranger to cease-and-desists.

Over the course of the former POTUS’ political career, he’s managed to tick off a slew of musicians whose songs he’s used at events and in campaign materials, allegedly without receiving permission. In the span of just two weeks in August 2024, for instance, Beyoncé, Foo Fighters and Jack White all expressed their dismay at Trump’s team appearing to use their work without authorization — but it’s a tale as old as the billionaire’s initial presidential run in 2016, when he first became a lightning rod for disgruntled artists.

After spending the following four years in the White House, he ran for the role of commander in chief once again, but lost to President Joe Biden in 2020. Another four years later, he launched his third campaign, making for 12 years total of collecting slaps on the wrist from unhappy hitmakers. That’s not to say he isn’t duly supported by other musicians, though. Jason Aldean, Ye, Kid Rock and Sexyy Red are just a few big names who’ve endorsed Trump; however, his 2024 Democratic opponent Kamala Harris has also received an outpouring of support from the music industry’s leaders.

Whether they’ve made public statements of condemnation, threatened to take legal action or followed through with a lawsuit — or maybe even all of the above — many musicians have objected to Trump’s use of their work since he first rose to power. Keep reading to see a comprehensive list below, in alphabetical order: