Trump can’t stop trying to make celebrities like him. It’s very sad

WASHINGTON DC – Rockstar Neil Young and Donald Trump are at it again. For the second time, the two aged icons are clashing over the President’s use of Young’s much-beloved music during a campaign rally, with the aggrieved troubadour demanding $10m (£7.5m) in damages. This time around, the venue was Youngstown, Ohio, where the rock veteran’s “Rockin’ in the Free World” was included in the warm-up music ahead of Trump’s appearance on 12 October. In a lawsuit filed on Monday, Young accuses the “Trump 47 Committee”, a fundraising body supporting the President, of allowing the song “to be played numerous times at other rallies designed to encourage Republican votes in the upcoming midterm elections” without the musician’s permission. The lawsuit, filed in US District Court in Richmond, Virginia, further claims that Trump “was personally aware that a licence would be required”, and that Young “has not, and would not, grant the required licence”. Shorts That’s a clear reference to the star’s previous legal dalliance with Trump in August 2020 when he was not only aggrieved by Trump’s use of “Rockin’ in the Free World” at campaign rallies, but also by the inclusion of “Devil’s Sidewalk” on the President’s playlist. Then, Young demanded $150,000 (£113,000) per track for “wilful infringement” of his rights, arguing that his recordings were being used “for a divisive, un-American campaign of ignorance and hate”. The lawsuit was settled four months later, and in his latest legal action Young insists that Trump promised never again to use “Rockin’ In The Free World” without both a licence and the artist’s permission. Young has called the song “the opposite of everything that Donald J Trump stands for”. Neil Young has said his recordings were being used ‘for a divisive, un-American campaign of ignorance and hate’ (Photo: Gary Miller/Getty) Now Young, 80, is upping the ante and may be able to expect another payday. He joins a long line of artists objecting to Trump’s decision to co-opt their music and use it to endorse his authoritarian messaging of division and – on this year’s campaign trail – openly racist hate. Artists who have previously filed lawsuits against Trump include Eddy Grant (demanding $300,000 – £225,500 – over the use of “Electric Avenue”), the estate of Isaac Hayes (demanding $3m – £2.3m – over the use of “Hold On, I’m Comin”), and The White Stripes (demanding $300,000 over the use of “Seven Nation Army”). Artists who have sent cease-and-desist letters to Trump include Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler (Livin’ on the Edge), The Rolling Stones (You Can’t Always Get What You Want), the late Tom Petty’s family (I Won’t Back Down), Phil Collins (In The Air Tonight) and Rihanna who, without a hint of irony, threatened legal action in order to stop Trump from using Don’t Stop The Music. All of which raises the question: why are Trump and his image-makers so determined to ignore the wishes of artists and potentially to flout copyright laws? Amateur psychologists might be forgiven for suggesting that Trump simply wants to be liked. His track record of surrounding himself with the wealthy, famous and popular knows no bounds, and he may simply be trying to associate himself with stars whose support he craves, even as they refuse to provide him with theirs. There was the sad spectacle in 2024 of him bemoaning that the pop megastar Taylor Swift had thrown her support behind his 2020 election rival Joe Biden who – contrary to his repeated claims – defeated him in that election, and later Kamala Harris. “There’s no way she could endorse Crooked Joe Biden, the worst and most corrupt President in the History of our Country,” he wailed on Truth Social. The next year, four years into his second presidency, he posted, apparently randomly: “Has anyone noticed that, since I said ‘I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT,’ she’s no longer ‘HOT?’” Long ago, back in 2021, he had told her “you are fantastic!” and wrote “Taylor is terrific!” on X, later calling her “unusually beautiful”. US singer and songwriter Taylor Swift has thrown her support behind Trump’s Democrat rivals in presidential elections (Photo: Andre Dias Nobre/AFP) He has also lashed out at “highly overrated … not a talented guy – just a pushy, obnoxious JERK” Bruce Springsteen, the American singer and outspoken critic of Trump who opposed his use of his song “Born in the USA” at political rallies in 2016. But Trump has to keep pushing it by playing music by stars who openly dislike him. Because, realistically, were the President to restrict his campaign soundtrack only to music by artists who support his agenda, he would face slim pickings. The former Las Vegas lounge singer Lee Greenwood (“God Bless the USA”) is already fused at Trump’s side during campaign appearances and offers very few other tracks that might inspire the America First faithful. As Trump has already amply demonstrated, there is only so far that Kid Rock and The Village People can take a man politically, and at some point you’ve simply got to broaden the offerings beyond “American Bad Ass” and “YMCA”, respectively. But there are other possible explanations for the President’s conduct. He must, by now, be fully aware that Young holds Trump’s Maga agenda in deep antipathy, and may simply enjoy irritating and aggrieving the Canadian-American singer-songwriter at every opportunity he gets. Many of Trump’s legal battles – including, perhaps, his rapidly crumbling lawsuit against the BBC’s Panorama – appear rooted in the joy he derives by forcing his opponents to engage expensive legal representation. Additionally, while the prospect of writing multimillion-dollar cheques to settle lawsuits might give some politicians cause for hesitation, this year’s American midterm election campaign is already the most expensive in the nation’s history. Earlier this week, the tracking service AdImpact announced more than $11.21bn (£8.43bn) has been spent on advertisements by candidates seeking House, Senate and gubernatorial offices next Tuesday. And that’s before the campaigns have spent a single cent on venues, rallies, imagery or music. Trump may consider legal payouts to be a mere bagatelle if, in return, he and his supporters get to rock out to whatever music he deems fit.