Neil Young Files $10M Copyright Suit Against Trump PAC
The musician seeks damages and an injunction after the committee used his 1989 anthem as walk-up music at recent midterm rallies.
By Henry Castro ·
Neil Young has filed a $10 million copyright lawsuit against Trump 47 Committee Inc in the US district court for the eastern district of Virginia. The complaint, lodged on Monday, demands damages and a court order to stop the political action committee from publicly performing the 1989 track "Rockin' in the Free World." The suit alleges the committee used the song as walk-up music for the president without permission.
Young's attorneys point to specific instances of unauthorized use, citing a rally in Ohio on October 12 where the song played. The filing states the track has also been used numerous times at other rallies designed to encourage Republican votes in the upcoming midterms. Young is asking the court for an injunction to prevent further public performances of the music.
This legal action marks the second time the musician has sued a Trump organization over the same song. In 2020, Young sued Donald J Trump for President Inc. That case ended in a settlement. According to the new filing, the previous organization promised it "would never again use Rockin' in the Free World without a license and permission from Young." The current complaint argues that the repeated use has damaged Young's reputation and brand by suggesting he supports the president in any way.
The lawsuit details the thematic conflict between the song and the administration. The filing describes the track as a blistering anthem that contrasts hollow political promises with the harsh realities faced by the poor, homeless, and forgotten. It notes the lyrics depict a mother discarding her baby and addicts lost in despair. The suit asserts that the repeated chorus delivers savage irony about freedom not shared by all. In short, the document states, the song is the opposite of everything Donald J Trump stands for.
Young has a documented history of opposing the president. He has criticized Trump in writings on his website and released a 2025 protest song titled "Big Crime." In that track, he sings, "Don't need no fascist rules / Don't want no fascist schools / Don't want soldiers walking on the streets." Trump's administration has not yet responded to the new suit.
The case arrives amid a pattern of the Trump presidency using music by left-leaning artists in online materials over the past year. Olivia Rodrigo, Sabrina Carpenter, and SZA have had their songs used to soundtrack ICE propaganda or clips about the Iran strategy. In August, Taylor Swift had her song "August" removed from a video celebrating the presidency.
Source: The Guardian
