Neil Young sues Trump a second time over use of his song at rallies
Musician Neil Young has filed a lawsuit in a US federal court against Donald Trump's political action committee over the unlicensed use of Rockin' in the Free World. He is seeking $10m and an injunction against further performances.
Neil Young, the musician and outspoken critic of US President Donald Trump, on Monday filed a lawsuit in the US district court for the eastern district of Virginia against Trump's political action committee, Trump 47 Committee Inc. He alleges copyright infringement and seeks $10m (£7.47m) over the use of his song Rockin' in the Free World without permission as walk-up music at rallies ahead of the midterm elections.
A second case
This is the second time Young has taken legal action against a Trump organisation over the song. He first sued in 2020, targeting the corporation Donald J Trump for President Inc. According to the new filing, Trump settled that case and promised his organisation would never again use the song without a licence and Young's permission.
The new suit cites the song being played at the president's rally in Ohio on 12 October, and says it has been played numerous times at other rallies meant to encourage Republican votes in the upcoming midterm elections, the US congressional elections held midway through a presidential term. Young also asks the court for an injunction to stop further public performances.
Grounds for the claim
Young's lawyers argue that the continued use has damaged his reputation and brand, because it suggests he supports Trump in some way. The filing describes the 1989 song as a blistering anthem that contrasts the hollow promises of American political rhetoric with the harsh realities faced by the poor, homeless and forgotten, and says it is the opposite of everything Trump stands for.
Trump's administration has not yet responded to the suit.
Young has repeatedly criticised the president on his website and in 2025 released a protest song about the administration, Big Crime. Over the past 12 months, the Trump presidency has also used songs by other artists, including Olivia Rodrigo, Sabrina Carpenter and SZA, in ICE immigration enforcement propaganda and in clips about Trump's Iran strategy. In August, Taylor Swift's song August was removed from a video celebrating the Trump presidency.
