Trump campaign team deletes video of Harris' campaign anthem “Freedom” after Beyoncé sent a cease and desist letter

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Donald Trump's campaign team has quietly deleted a video in which the former president uses Kamala Harris' campaign anthem Freedom after Beyoncé sent a cease and desist letter.

Trump's campaign spokesman Steven Cheung posted a video on X on Tuesday showing the Republican candidate getting off the plane in Michigan while Beyoncé's hit song plays in the background.

Now the post has been removed.

The Independent has asked the Trump team and Beyoncé's representative for comment.

A source close to Beyoncé told Rolling Stone that the former president did not receive permission to use the song from her hit album. lemonade.

Freedom was chosen as the anthem of Harris' campaign last month, shortly after the vice president took over the leadership of the Democratic Party.

CNN reported that Beyoncé gave Harris permission to use the song until the November election.

Beyoncé fans had early on criticized the Trump campaign team for copying their Democratic presidential rival.

“Freedom is a song about slavery and police brutality against POC. How disgusting and despicable for any of you to use the song to support this convicted felon,” one said.

Another wrote: “I know she didn't greenlight this nonsense… I can't wait for her legal team to find you.”

“You can't be serious using @Beyonce's song from the Kamala campaign!? Stealing anything has consequences,” said another.

The star, who publicly supported Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election, has not officially endorsed Harris or any other candidate this time around. However, Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff were given tickets to the Renaissance World Tour in Maryland last year by Beyoncé herself.

And now rumors are circulating that Beyoncé may perform on the closing night of the Democratic National Convention on Thursday. Democratic Party Chairman Jaime Harrison did not confirm or deny rumors that the singer would perform when asked on CBS Mornings earlier this week.

He answered quite cryptically: “Every day she sings here Freedom… well, at least we hear it over the intercom.”

Beyoncé joins Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen and Adele in the list of artists who have issued cease and desist orders to Trump for using their songs against their will. Céline Dion, the Rolling Stones and others have also spoken out against the use of their music for Trump's election campaign.

Just last week, the estate of the late singer-songwriter Isaac Hayes sued the Republican presidential candidate and his campaign for allegedly using the song Wait, I'm coming in his campaign videos.

Lawyers for the Hayes family argue that Trump owes the estate $150,000 for each alleged unauthorized use of the song, which the Trump campaign allegedly used over 100 times.

Freedom was interpreted as an anthem of “African American empowerment” and a sign of solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement.

Academic Omise'eke Tinsley, author of Beyonce in Formation: Black Feminism in Remixnoticed how Beyonce performed Freedom at Coachella and then “separated into 'Life Every Voice,' the black national anthem.” After the murder of George Floyd, it was used as a “song of hope and upliftment,” Tinsley said.

Trump's attempt to copy Harris comes despite his accusation that she is copying him. At a rally in Asheville, North Carolina, he said last week that Harris' economic plan “will probably be a copy of my plan, because that's basically what she's doing.”