Support truly
independent journalism
Stepping off his plane after touching down in Michigan, Donald Trump fist pumps the air to the soundtrack that has become Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign anthem:Freedom by Beyoncé.
In a possible attempt to parody – or troll – Harris, Trump’s campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung posted a video on X of the former president arriving at his campaign rally to the backdrop of Beyoncé’s hit song from her 2016 album Lemonade.
Beyoncé fans were quick to slam the Trump campaign for copying the Democratic presidential rival.
“Freedom is a song written about slavery and police brutality against POC. How disgusting and despicable for any of you to use it to support that convicted felon,” one said.
Another wrote: “I know she didn’t green light this nonsense… I can’t wait until her legal team finds you”.
“You must be kidding, using the @Beyonce song of the Kamala campaign!? Stealing everything has consequences,” another said.
But Trump’s move could ultimately backfire if he didn’t get permission from the star first.
Freedom was adopted as the Harris campaign’s anthem last month, not long after the vice president stepped up to lead the Democratic party’s ticket.
Beyoncé gave Harris permission to use the song through to the November election, CNN reported.
The star, who publicly backed Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election, is yet to officially endorse Harris or any candidate this time around.
Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff were gifted tickets to the Renaissance World Tour in Maryland by Beyoncé herself last year.
It is not clear if Trump sought permission from Beyoncé’s team to use the song – or if he could face legal repercussions if not.
There are a number of routes artists can go down for possible legal action with some having issued Trump with cease-and-desist orders, including Bruce Springsteen, Adele and Neil Young, in the past.
Copyright infringement claims can also be made if a politician or campaign has used a song on social media or in an advert without permission.
For rallies, political campaigns are required by law to obtain a blanket license from music rights body BMI, which gives them access to more than 20 million tracks. Artists can request their music is withdrawn from the database.
However, campaigns can also rely on these licenses as a defense against any copyright infringement claims an artist might bring.
The Independent has contacted Beyoncé’s representatives and the Trump campaign for comment.
A string of high-profile musicians have already spoken out against Trump using their music without permission, including Celine Dion and the Rolling Stones.
Just last week, the estate of late singer-songwriter Isaac Hayes sued the Republican presidential nominee and his campaign for the alleged unauthorized use of the song Hold On, I’m Coming in his campaign videos.
Lawyers for the Hayes family argue Trump owes the estate $150,000 for each alleged unauthorized use of the song, which the Trump campaign has allegedly used over 100 times.
Hayes’s son, Isaac Hayes III, previously said the Trump campaign used the song without the family’s approval at his Atlanta rally earlier this month.
In the suit, Hayes estate said that the family is “taking legal action to stop the unauthorized use of this song. Donald Trump represents the worst in honesty, integrity and class and [the family wants] no association with his campaign of hate and racism.”
Freedom has been interpreted as the anthem of “African American empowerment” and a show of solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement.
Academic Omise’eke Tinsley, author of Beyonce in Formation: Remixing Black Feminism, has noted how Beyonce performed Freedom at Coachella and then it “segued into ‘Life Every Voice’, the Black national anthem”. In the wake of George Floyd’s murder, it was used as a “song of hope and uplift”, Tinsley said.
Trump’s move to copy Harris comes despite him accusing her of copying him. He told a rally in Asheville, North Carolina, last week that Harris’s economic plan would “probably will be a copy of my plan, because basically that’s what she does.”
