Photo Credit: Per Ole Hagen / CC by 2.0
Neil Young has asked Trump to stop using his music at his rallies and campaign events. Now the singer may be looking to take legal action.
In a post on his Neil Young Archives website, the singer revealed he was looking into options. “I am changing my mind about suing President Trump. I’m looking at it again. There is a long history to consider, and I originally considered it, deciding not to pursue it. But then President Trump ordered thugs in uniform onto our streets. His idea, this is all DJT,” Young continued.
The situation Neil Young is referring to is federal law enforcement in Portland, Oregon. Trump has threatened to send other federal officers to cities, including Chicago, Philadelphia, and Milwaukee. The officers are picking up protesters in unmarked vehicles and escorting them away.
“The US military is against these thug troops being here on the streets of America, attacking what our US military does,” Young continues in his post. He says veterans are joining Portland protesters to protect them against Trump’s troops. “They know they are not to be on the streets doing a rogue president’s bidding for his political gain, harming innocent citizens who are legally protesting,” Young continues in his post.
“Imagine what it feels like to hear ‘Rockin’ in the Free World’ after this President speaks like it is his theme song,” Neil Young asks his fans. “I did not write it for that.”
Young finally became a US citizen after living in the country for more than 50 years. He criticized the President playing his music at his recent Independence Day celebration at Mount Rushmore. “This is NOT okay with me,” Young tweeted then.
Neil Young isn’t the only vocal artist who speaks out against Trump playing their music. The list is so long it’s almost worth it to say who hasn’t asked Trump to stop. (Ted Nugent and Kid Rock are the only two names that top that list.) Aerosmith, Rihanna, Tom Petty, Elton John, R.E.M, The Rolling Stones, Adele, and other artists have all sent Trump to cease and desist letters.
None of these artists want their music associated with a campaign of hate and bigotry. The Rolling Stones even went so far as to involve the legal teams of performance rights organizations like ASCAP and BMI. If Trump plays any Rolling Stones songs represented by these groups – he’s facing another potential lawsuit with those PROs.
I don’t care which political party does it. I despise when creative works are used without permission. They should get sued. And, no, a blanket license doesn’t cover this.
Trump2020
Good lord, I cannot wait until this idiot dies.
I’m sure he doesn’t care about you. You’ll die, too, one day. Good riddance.
Angelito, Shane on you for telling someone they’ll die. This statement of yours outlines your hollow personality and hatred for self. Please stop with the childish comments. Baby talk is what it reads as. When I read your comments, I have to slow the thought process down to understand I’m reading an uneducated individuals child’s comment. Pep it up on logic, intellectual thought. Please.
Oh, this Canadian puke and all his Hollywood democrat friends wishing death on Donald Trump since November 2016 is o.k? I get it. Ducking hypocrite.
Democrats are evil. They killed a black Trump supporter in Milwaukee, and that is o.k with democrats and the main stream media. Black lives do not matter if they support Trump.
Shame on you for telling someone they don’t have the right to comment. Everyone will die. That’s a fact. Hopefully, some will die sooner than others, because they are terrible people. Would you have like Hitler to live a full, rich life? Exactly. You don’t think much.
Who is the idiot to whom you refer? Trump? (yes), “Patriots Only”? (yes) or Good Ol’ Neil? (no way dude).
No, you and Neil Young. Better?
There isn’t a person alive who believes Neil Young endorses Trump no matter how many times his song is played at these rallies.
But he does have a new album to promote so must insert himself into the news cycle whenever and however he can.
Ironically, judging from the podunk, white trash nature of these rallies, a good chunk of them are probably Neil Young fans.
Highly disagree, both with the basic logic and lack of factual statements. Neil Young fans are more intellectual than your so called Podunk crowd. White Trash is reading the low uneducated comments from white trash. Society reeks with a low level of lack of intelligence, and can be found within the rioters crowd and in their personal homes. Sad sad society. White Trash? You must live in a mobile home part to use that verbiage.
Let me guess: you are a self-anointed progressive who inherently is better than the masses. Kind of like blonde haired, blue eyed young men in Germany in the 1930s.
Judging others without any knowledge shows you are a dullard fool.
dummy
Let me guess? That’s how you start off? You are stupid beyond stupid.