And just like that, Donald Trump’s campaign quietly scrapped a video featuring Beyoncé’s song “Freedom” after the singer threatened a cease-and-desist. The video, posted by Trump’s spokesperson Steven Cheung on X (formerly Twitter), showed the former president stepping off a plane in Michigan with the song playing in the background.
As previously reported, a source close to Beyoncé confirmed to Rolling Stone that the former president had not been authorized to use the song, which is from her album Lemonade.
The use of “Freedom” comes shortly after the track was adopted as an anthem by Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign. Harris, who is leading the Democratic ticket, received Beyoncé’s permission to use the song through the November election, according to CNN.
Beyoncé, who has previously supported Democratic candidates, including Hillary Clinton in 2016, has not yet endorsed Harris or any other candidate this election cycle. However, it’s been speculated that Beyoncé might perform at the closing night of the Democratic National Convention. When asked about this possibility, Democratic Party Chair Jaime Harrison did not confirm or deny the rumors. Playing it coy, he told CBS earlier this week, “Every day, she’s in here singing Freedom… well, at least we hear it across the intercom.”
With this cease-and-desist, Beyoncé joins other artists like Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, and Adele who have taken similar action against Trump’s use of their music in his political campaigns. Recently, the estate of Isaac Hayes also filed a lawsuit against Trump for the alleged unauthorized use of the song “Hold On, I’m Coming” in campaign videos.
