Neil Young is suing President Donald Trump’s political committee for $10 million, accusing it of using his song “Rockin in the Free World” at campaign rallies without permission, The Guardian reported.
The lawsuit argued that the song is “the opposite of everything that Donald J. Trump stands for.”
Filed Monday in federal court in Virginia, the suit targets Trump 47 Committee Inc. and alleges copyright infringement. Young is also seeking an order barring further public performances of the hit 1989 song.
“Rockin’ in the Free World is a blistering anthem that contrasts the hollow promises of American political rhetoric with the harsh realities faced by the poor, homeless and forgotten,” the lawsuit says.
It’s the second time the musician has sued a Trump organization over the song. Young’s lawsuit says the first case, filed in 2020, ended in a settlement in which Trump’s organization promised not to use the song again without a license and Young’s permission, according to media reports.
But Young’s lawyers cited an Oct. 12 rally in Ohio and alleged that the song had been played at numerous other events promoting Republican candidates ahead of the midterms.
The rock legend argued that he “has suffered damage to his reputation and brand as a result of the implication that he supports Donald J. Trump in any way.”
Young has also taken aim at Trump in his music, The Guardian pointed out Tuesday. His 2025 protest song “Big Crime” calls for fascists to be removed from the White House.