A growing list of global superstars continues to take aim at President Donald Trump for repeatedly using their songs without permission—a controversy that has stretched from his 2016 campaign all the way through his current presidency.
According to Variety and Billboard, Trump’s team has drawn outrage from music legends including Adele, Earth, Wind & Fire, George Harrison’s estate, Beyoncé, and The White Stripes, all of whom have publicly condemned him for unauthorized use of their work at rallies and campaign events.
The backlash began in early 2016 when Adele demanded that her hit Rolling in the Deep be removed from Trump’s campaign playlist. “I do not approve of my music being used for any political campaigning,” she declared at the time.
That summer, Earth, Wind & Fire blasted the Republican Party for playing September to celebrate Trump’s presidential nomination. On the same day, the estate of George Harrison slammed Trump’s use of Here Comes the Sun at the Republican National Convention, calling it “offensive” and “unauthorized.”
Despite years of public protests from artists, Trump’s campaign has repeatedly leaned on high-profile hits to rally his base—sparking what’s become a decade-long feud between pop culture and politics.
The controversy reignited during Trump’s 2024 re-election campaign, when Beyoncé’s anthem Freedom blared at one of his rallies. The singer quickly issued a statement demanding the song be pulled from all future events.
Meanwhile, The White Stripes took their outrage to court—filing a lawsuit against roughly 5,000 campaign staff members, accusing them of “blatant and coordinated misuse” of their music.
“This has gone beyond politics—it’s about respect for art,” one music industry insider told Billboard. “Artists across genres feel their creative work has been hijacked for political purposes.”
Now serving as the 47th President of the United States after previously holding office as the 45th, Trump’s third term has been marked by renewed controversy—not just over music, but over his health.
Reports in October alleged he underwent cardiovascular and abdominal MRI scans following concerning appearances that included brief moments of apparent fatigue and visible bruising on his right hand. The White House later claimed all results were “completely normal,” insisting there’s “no cause for concern.”
Still, public speculation about the 78-year-old president’s condition—and his continued clashes with pop culture’s biggest stars—shows no sign of slowing down.
