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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Guardian staff

‘Fascists’: Jack White threatens to sue Trump campaign over use of music

man with blue hair in a striped suit playing a guitar behind a railing
Jack White in London in 2021. Photograph: Jo Hale/Getty Images

The White Stripes singer Jack White called Donald Trump’s campaign “fascists” and threatened to sue after an aide apparently used a clip of the band’s hit Seven Nation Army on a pro-Trump social media post.

Trump’s deputy director of communications, Margo Martin, shared a brief 10-second video clip of Trump boarding a plane to campaign events with the music as a background soundtrack.

The move clearly angered White, who rapidly became the latest in a long line of musicians to take umbrage at their art being used as a soundtrack to Trump’s bid to retake the White House.

On Instagram White wrote: “Don’t even think about using my music you fascists. Law suit coming from my lawyers about this (to add to your 5 thousand others.) Have a great day at work today Margo Martin.’

The spat comes after earlier this week the Swedish band Abba demanded Trump stop using their music after several of their songs and footage of the group were used at a campaign rally.

Other top artists that have objected to Trump or his staff using their work include Céline Dion, Beyoncé, Johnny Marr of the Smiths, the family of the late soul singer Isaac Hayes and the estate of the late Irish pop star Sinéad O’Connor.

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