The White Stripes Sue Donald Trump Over Unauthorized Use of 'Seven Nation Army' in Campaign Video

 

Rock duo The White Stripes, consisting of Jack White and Meg White, have filed a lawsuit against former President Donald Trump, accusing him of "flagrant misappropriation" of their hit song Seven Nation Army in a campaign video. The lawsuit was filed in New York and follows the use of the song in a video shared by a Trump staffer, Margo McAtee Martin, on August 29. The video, now deleted, featured Trump boarding a plane with the iconic opening riff of the song playing in the background.

Jack White took to Instagram after the video surfaced, expressing his disapproval: "Don’t even think about using my music you fascists. Lawsuit coming from my lawyers about this (to add to your 5 thousand others)." On Monday, he posted the first page of the legal filing with the caption, "This machine sues fascists."

The lawsuit claims that Trump, his campaign, and Martin used Seven Nation Army without permission, ignoring efforts to settle the issue before legal action. The White Stripes are seeking "significant monetary damages" for the unauthorized use of their music.

Trump's legal team, led by Ronald Coleman of Dhillon Law Group, has not yet commented on the matter. The Trump campaign also did not respond to requests for comment.

This lawsuit adds The White Stripes to a growing list of musicians who have taken legal action against Trump for using their music without permission. Notable artists such as Neil Young, Beyoncé, Foo Fighters, and Celine Dion have also voiced their opposition to Trump's use of their work during his campaigns. In August, Universal Music issued a legal notice over the unauthorized use of ABBA songs in Trump’s 2024 campaign.

Trump is currently facing additional lawsuits for unauthorized use of music, including from the estates of Isaac Hayes and British-Guyanese musician Eddy Grant. A judge recently issued an injunction preventing Trump’s campaign from using the Isaac Hayes classic Hold On, I’m Coming at rallies.

In their legal filing, The White Stripes emphasized that Seven Nation Army is one of the most recognizable and influential songs of all time. They also noted that they had previously denounced Trump’s use of the song during his 2016 campaign, expressing strong opposition to his policies and actions as president.