Trump campaign pulls ‘Freedom’ video after Beyoncé sends cease and desist: report
One of Donald Trump‘s campaign officials had to go “to the left, to the left” after reps for Beyoncé reportedly contested the illegal use of her likeness in a video this week.
The Grammy Award winner’s 2016 song “Freedom” — which has been used as a central theme for the Kamala Harris campaign — popped up in a social media clip promoting the one-term former president’s 2024 reelection efforts.
Trump spokesman Steven Cheung posted the 13-second video of Trump’s arrival in Michigan for a rally on Tuesday, using the popular song as its soundtrack.
In the wake of the clip, Rolling Stone reported that Beyoncé‘s record label and music publisher had since sent a cease-and-desist to Trump‘s presidential campaign over the use of the song. Cheung’s video has been removed from social media as of Thursday evening.
Reps for the “Cowboy Carter” superstar, rumored to be performing at the closing night of the DNC, have yet to publicly address the issue.
Weeks earlier, VP Harris walked out to “Freedom” during her official campaign kick-off, and has subsequently used it at her rallies.
A stripped down version of the modern-day protest song was used as the official anthem during the opening night of the Democratic National Convention where Harris surprised the crowd at Chicago’s United Center.