Foo fighters issue brutal rebuttal to Trump for playing 'My Hero' at Arizona rally

Donald Trump presumably didn’t intend to pick a fight, but that’s precisely what he did by selecting an iconic song for his latest rally.

The hit ‘My Hero’, by veteran rock band Foo Fighters, blasted at Trump’s presidential campaign event in Arizona on Friday as the MAGA commander-in-chief welcomed Robert F Kennedy Jr onto the stage.

Kennedy made a guest appearance at the rally shortly after announcing that he would be suspending his own tilt for the White House and backing the Republican frontman instead.

But what soon became clear is that the Foo Fighters view neither Trump nor his new ally as “heroes” and they were furious at the hijacking of their track.

Asked on social media if they had given the Trump campaign permission to use the 1997 track, the Foo Fighters replied with a blunt: “No.”

The band then reposted a screenshot of their comment to their Twitter/X alongside the caption "let us be clear".

A spokesperson for the band later reiterated their objection, saying: "Foo Fighters were not asked permission, and if they were they would not have granted it."

Trump was all praise for his new rival-turned-ally(Getty Images)

There has since been some speculation online that the group will sue the 78-year-old presidential hopeful for his expropriation of their song but, so far, there has been formal suggestion that they plan to take legal action.

Instead, it seems that the band will simply join an ever-growing list of artists who’ve condemned Trump’s use of their music during campaign events. These include:

Isaac Hayes

Earlier this month, the family of the late singer-songwriter sued the former president and his campaign, seeking what could be millions of dollars in fees for their use of the song 'Hold On, I’m Coming' in rallies and campaign videos.

Lawyers for the Hayes family argue that Trump owes the estate $150,000 (around £113,500) for each unauthorised broadcast of the track, which the Trump campaign has allegedly used over 100 times.

Celine Dion

The Canadian icon denounced the Trump campaign’s use of her Titanic hit ‘My Heart Will Go On’ at a campaign rally earlier this month.

Her management team swiftly released a statement saying the use of the song was "in no way" authorised, adding: "... And really, THAT song?"

The Smiths

Earlier this year, The Smiths' guitarist Johnny Marr derided the 78-year-old presidential hopeful after the band's track ‘Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want’ was played at a rally.

Responding to a video of one of his rallies, in which the song could be heard playing in the background, Marr wrote: "Ahh...right...OK. I never in a million years would've thought this could come to pass. Consider this shit shut right down right now."

Tom Petty

Trump was issued with a cease-and-desist notice in 2020 by the family of Tom Petty after he played ‘I Won't Back Down’ at a comeback rally in Oklahoma.

In a damning statement, Petty's family said the song was written "for the common man" and they didn't want it used for a "campaign of hate".

The Rolling Stones

The British band threatened to sue the 78-year-old over his use of ‘You Can't Always Get What You Want’ at a 2020 rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

They'd been sending cease-and-desist directives to his campaign team since 2016, Sky News reports.

Neil Young

The award-winning singer attempted to sue Trump's re-election campaign for copyright infringement in 2020, claiming that his music has been used at the president's rallies without his permission.

In court, Young objected to the playing of 'Rockin' In The Free World' and 'Devil's Sidewalk' at "numerous times at rallies and political events for the entertainment and amusement of those attending".

But his lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice later that year, meaning it cannot be brought again. It's unclear whether the case has been settled.

Linkin Park

The nu metal band also issued a cease-and-desist order in 2020 after their song ‘In The End appeared’ in a video supporting the then-president.

Twitter/X removed the video from the platform shortly after it was uploaded, citing a copyright complaint.

Black Sabbath

In 2019, Ozzy Osbourne and his wife Sharon sent a notice to Trump banning him from including Black Sabbath music in his campaign videos, after he used the song Crazy Train without their permission.

Aerosmith

Lead singer Steven Tyler sent a letter to the then-president in 2018 ordering him to stop playing the band's songs at political events, after their 1993 hit ‘Livin' On The Edge’ was played at a rally in West Virginia.

The singer had previously sent the Trump campaign two cease-and-desist letters in 2015 for its use of the band's music.

Prince

Trump's team featured the late star's iconic track ‘Purple Rain’ in a campaign rally playlist in the lead-up to the November 2018 midterm elections, prompting fury from the artist’s family.

Omarr Baker, Prince's half-brother, tweeted at the time: "The Prince Estate has never given permission to President Trump or The White House to use Prince's songs and have requested that they cease all use immediately."

Rihanna

The ‘Umbrella’ singer issued Trump with a cease-and-desist letter in 2018 after he played her 2007 hit ‘Don't Stop The Music’ at an event in Tennessee.

Responding to a tweet describing how the track was being played "as aides toss free Trump T-shirts into the crowd", the Barbadian star said: "Not for much longer...

“Me nor my people [sic] would ever be at or around one of those tragic rallies, so thanks for the heads up!"

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