Neil Young Sues Trump Committee Again: $10 Million Claim Over 'Rockin' in the Free World' Played at October 12 Youngstown Rally
Canadian-American rock singer Neil Young sued the Trump 47 Committee Inc in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia on October 26, alleging the committee played his 1989 song "Rockin' in the Free World" without a license before President Donald Trump took the stage at an October 12 midterm campaign rally in Youngstown, Ohio. Young is seeking $10 million in damages and a court order barring the committee from using his music again. According to Reuters, White House spokespeople did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The complaint describes the song as a set of vivid street-level portraits: a mother discarding her baby, addicts lost in despair, garbage piling in the shadows of prosperity, while the repeated chorus delivers a savage irony about a freedom that is not shared by all. "In short, the song is the opposite of everything Donald J. Trump stands for," the complaint said. It also alleges the unauthorized use implied that Young supports Trump, damaging his reputation and brand.
It is not the first time the two sides have met in court. In 2020 Young sued Trump's campaign over the unlicensed use of "Rockin' in the Free World" and "Devil's Sidewalk" at multiple rallies. According to the new complaint, the campaign settled after being served and promised never to use "Rockin' in the Free World" again without a license. The complaint says Trump was personally aware a license was required and that the committee proceeded willfully anyway.
The case is Young v. Trump 47 Committee Inc, No. 3:26-cv-01398 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. Young is represented by attorney Robert Besser; attorney information for the committee was not yet available, and no hearing date has been set.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 尼尔·杨2016年在挪威 Stavernfestivalen 音乐节演出资料照片。照片：Tore Sætre，CC BY-SA 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / File photo of Neil Young performing at the Stavernfestivalen festival in Norway in 2016. Photo by Tore Sætre, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
