Foo Fighters pledge 'My Hero' royalties to Harris campaign after slamming Trump for unauthorized use

This incident is second time in a week that Trump's campaign has faced backlash for using music without permission.

Donald Trump may view Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as his hero, given that he played the Foo Fighters' 1997 hit "My Hero" to introduce Kennedy at a rally in Glendale, Arizona, on August 23.

Kennedy, an independent presidential candidate, had just suspended his campaign and endorsed Trump, the Republican nominee. However, the Foo Fighters are not pleased with the unauthorized use of their song.

A spokesperson for the band told Billboard that they were not asked for permission to use the song, and if they had been, they would have refused. The spokesperson added that "appropriate actions are being taken" against the campaign, and any royalties from the usage will be donated to the Harris/Walz campaign.

Trump introduced Kennedy with a statement downplaying his fame, saying, "I don’t think too many of you people have heard of him, he’s very low-key." As the chorus of "My Hero" played, Kennedy joined Trump on stage amid a display of flash pots. Trump praised Kennedy as "highly respected" and "a great person," noting that he had known him for "the past 16 months."

The Foo Fighters also responded on social media when asked if they had allowed Trump to use "My Hero" for Kennedy's introduction. The band's account simply replied, "No," and later posted the exchange, adding, "Let us be clear."

This incident marks the second time in a week and the third time in a month that Trump's campaign has faced backlash for using music without permission. On August 22, Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung posted a video on his X account showing Trump stepping off a plane to Beyoncé's song "Freedom." The video was posted long after Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris had been using the song with permission. Beyoncé's record label and music publisher sent a cease-and-desist notice to the Trump campaign, and the video was later removed.

Additionally, on August 11, lawyers for the Isaac Hayes estate filed a notice of copyright infringement and threatened further legal action against the Trump campaign for using Hayes' "Hold On, I'm Coming" at multiple rallies without authorization between 2022 and 2024.