The White Stripes, the legendary rock band of the 2000s, composed of Jack and Meg White, broke up in 2017. However, the two musicians are reuniting to oppose former US President Donald Trump. In a video posted on X (formerly Twitter) on August 29 by Margo Martin, a member of his campaign team, we can see the candidate in the running for the American presidential election of 2024 boarding a plane with the song “Seven Nation Army” in the background.
Since deleted, the video was recorded by Jack White, who did not hesitate to post it on your Instagram account the same day, accompanied by a critical description. The American musician, after calling the members of Trump’s team “fascists”, warned him of upcoming legal action. Threats carried out since Jack and Meg White, under the name of their former group, filed a complaint for copyright infringement. They are demanding “significant damages”, annonce The Guardian.
The complaint says the campaign did not seek or obtain permission from the band to use the song. The White Stripes, meanwhile, claim that Trump and his campaign sought to “generating financial support for his campaign and candidacy on the backs of the plaintiffs, from whom he neither sought nor obtained permission nor approval, in violation of their rights under federal copyright law”.
A habit for the candidate
While the White Stripes have never spoken out about the global use of their song in stadiums, its use by Trump is not a consensus, and this for the second time. Already in 2016, following the use of this same song in the same circumstances, the group had declared on Facebook “to be disgusted”The latter again claims, eight years later, to oppose “vehemently opposed the policies adopted and actions undertaken by defendant Trump while he was president and those he has proposed for the second term he is seeking”. And he is not the only one.
Beyoncé, Céline Dion, Neil Young, the Rolling Stones, the Foo Fighters, Michael Stipe (from the group REM), Adele, Rihanne, Pharell Williams, Creedence Clearwater Revival… All opposed the use of their songs by Donald Trump during his presidential campaigns in 2016 and 2024. These artists disapprove of the association of their respective music with the controversial positions of the Republican candidate, in a country where music represents a strong political marker.
Trump now has two lawsuits filed against him for unauthorized use of music in his campaign. Also this summer, Isaac Hayes’ estate sued for the same reason. Since then, a federal judge in Atlanta has issued an injunction prohibiting Trump’s campaign from playing the song “Hold On, I’m Coming,” co-written by Hayes.
Source: www.slate.fr
