Donald Trump may consider Robert F. Kennedy Jr. his hero, as he played the Foo Fighters' 1997 anthem “My Hero” to welcome him on stage at a rally on Friday (August 23) in Glenday, Arizona, after independent presidential candidate suspended his campaign and endorsed the Republican nominee — but the group is calling the move a big zero.
“The Foo Fighters were not asked for permission, and if they were, they wouldn't have given it,” says a spokesperson Bulletin board of unauthorized use. In addition, “appropriate action” is being taken against the campaign, the spokesperson continued, and any royalties received as a result of this use will be donated to the Harris/Walz campaign.
“I don't think a lot of you have heard him, he's very low-key,” Trump said before beginning to belt out the chorus of “My Hero” as Kennedy joined Trump on stage and a series of flash pans began. “He's a very low-key person, but he's very well respected. He is a great man. I've known him for so long. In the last 16 months. Robert F. Kennedy Jr.”
Additionally, in response to a question from X account Wu-Tang Is for the Children if the band “let Trump use 'My Hero' to welcome RKJ Jr.” on stage,” the Foo Fighters account simply replied, “No,” and then posted the exchange, adding: “Let's be clear.”
The move marks the second time this week — and the third time this month — that Trump's campaign has clashed with a superstar for using music without permission. On Tuesday (Aug. 22), Trump campaign spokesman Steven Chung posted a 13-second video on his X account of footage of Trump exiting the plane as Beyoncé's “Freedom” played. The video arrived long after his rival, Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, had been using the song (with permission) for weeks.
On Wednesday (August 21), Beyoncé's record label and music publisher sent the Trump campaign a cease-and-desist notice over its use of “Freedom.” Later that afternoon, the video was deleted from Cheung's X account.
Additionally, on August 11, attorneys for the Isaac Hayes estate filed a notice of copyright infringement and threatened further legal action against the Trump campaign over the use of Hayes' “Hold On, I'm Coming” at multiple Trump rallies without authorization between 2022 and 2024.
The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
