Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl has said that any royalties Donald Trump earns from the use of any of his songs will be donated to Kamala Harris’ campaign.
The former president used the band’s 1997 song “My Hero” when he welcomed Robert F. Kennedy to an Arizona rally after the independent candidate endorsed him.
In response, the band said in a statement to Billboard: ‘Foo Fighters. was not asked for permission, and if they had been, they would not have granted it.’
It added that “appropriate action will be taken” against the Trump campaign and that any royalties received would be donated to the Harris/Walz campaign.
When an X account asked them if the band had let Trump use the song, they simply replied, “No.”
Dave Grohl performs during a celebration of the launch of the Music Diplomacy Initiative in the Benjamin Franklin Room of the State Department in Washington, DC, on September 27, 2023
The former president used the band’s 1997 song “My Hero” when he welcomed Robert F. Kennedy to an Arizona rally after the independent candidate endorsed him
The band is the latest in a series of artists who have criticized Trump and his campaign for misusing their music.
Earlier this month, superstar Beyoncé threatened to ban him after her spokesperson Steven Cheung used her song in a clip posted to social media.
The tweet, which has since been deleted, was punctuated by the song, “Touchdown in Michigan!!,” which shows Trump getting off a plane.
Trump’s campaign never got permission to use the song, a source close to the Houston-born musician told Rolling Stone.
Trump has come under scrutiny in the past for artists who performed music at his rallies without the artists’ permission.
These artists include Céline Dion and Phil Collins, and the estates of deceased artists such as Sinéad O’Connor, Isaac Hayes and Tom Petty.
On August 11, attorneys for Hayes’ estate filed a notice of copyright infringement against the Trump campaign for using Hayes’ “Hold On, I’m Coming” without permission.
American band Foo Fighters will perform on the Orange Stage at Roskilde Festival on Friday, July 5, 2024
This isn’t the first time the former Nirvana drummer has criticized a Republican for using My Hero.
In 2008, the band told John McCain to stop using the song in his presidential campaign, saying it “tarnished” the song.
The band said in a statement: “The saddest part is that My Hero was written as an ode to the common man and his extraordinary potential.
“If it is appropriated without our knowledge and used in a way that distorts the original sentiment of the lyrics, then it only tarnishes the song.”
The chart-topping band previously took action against protesters from the Westboro Baptist Church, a hate group that protested at several of their concerts.
The group previously performed a parody song for the organization and covered the Bee Gees’ song You Should Be Dancing in response to their anti-LGBT views.