Singer and songwriter Neil Young, 80, sued the Trump 47 Committee Inc. on Monday, alleging copyright infringement over the unlicensed use of “Rockin’ in the Free World” before President Donald Trump took the stage at an October midterm rally in Youngstown, Ohio.
The musician seeks $10 million in damages and injunctions prohibiting the committee from performing the song publicly. The lawsuit does not personally name Trump as a defendant.
Neil Young has filed a $10 million lawsuit against Donald Trump, alleging copyright infringement over the ongoing use of Young’s song “Rockin’ in the Free World” as the president’s walk-up music at midterm election rallies. The suit says the classic 1989 song 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 lyrics pain vivid street-level portraits — a mother discarding her baby, addicts lost in despair, garbage piling in the shadows of prosperity — while the repeated chorus delivers a savage irony, celebrating freedom that clearly isn’t shared by all. In short, the song is the opposite of everything that Donald J. Trump stands for.” https://t.co/02jGCSgiMv
— Variety (@Variety) October 26, 2026
The lawsuit describes the song as “a blistering anthem that contrasts the hollow promises of American political rhetoric with the harsh realities faced by the poor, homeless and forgotten.”
The lyrics paint vivid street-level portraits — a mother discarding her baby, addicts lost in despair, garbage piling in the shadows of prosperity — while the repeated chorus delivers a savage irony, celebrating freedom that clearly isn't shared by all. In short, the song is the opposite of everything that Donald J. Trump stands for.
Trump walks out to "Rockin' in the Free World." Neil Young told him to stop using it for years now. This week he finally sued for $10 million. https://t.co/TaKg1bZIGQ
— Warren (@swd2) October 27, 2026
This is the second time Young has taken legal action against Trump-affiliated entities. He sued Trump’s Reelection campaign in August 2020 over using the song at a Tulsa rally.
The case was voluntarily dismissed with prejudice in December 2020. The new lawsuit said the campaign “asserted no defense and immediately settled” and promised never to use the song again without a license and Young’s permission.
The latest complaint claims Trump was personally aware that the song required a license and that Young “has not and would not grant” one.