Beyoncé label sends Donald Trump cease and desist letter for misusing “Freedom”

Beyoncé's record label has issued a cease and desist order to Donald Trumppresidential campaign because of the use of the megastar’s song “Freedom” in a social media video, according to Rolling Stonestating that the campaign did not have permission to use the track.

In the offensive clip sent to the Trump campaign spokesman Steven CheungThe Freedom X-Account plays over footage of the Republican presidential candidate stepping off a plane, a video released long after the song became the official theme song for the Democratic presidential candidate's campaign. Kamala Harris and her running mate Tim WalzVice President Harris played the song earlier this summer at her first presidential campaign rally after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race and endorsed her candidacy. The use of the song by the Harris-Walz campaign team, including in several campaign ads and at the Democratic National Convention, was done with Beyoncé's permission.

At the time of this writing, the Trump video called “Freedom” is still on Cheung’s X account.

This is far from the first time Trump has clashed with an artist for using their song without permission at campaign rallies and elsewhere. On August 11, lawyers for Isaac Hayes' estate filed a copyright infringement notice and threatened further legal action against the Trump campaign over the unauthorized use of Hayes' “Hold On, I'm Coming” at several Trump rallies between 2022 and 2024. Other artists who have objected to Trump's use of their songs over the years include the Rolling Stones, Rihanna, Adele and Steven Tyler of Aerosmith.