Donald Trump had a weird incident with singer Beyoncé when the former president used the Freedom track (which also features Kendrick Lamar) for one of the videos he shared online as part of his campaign. According to USA Today, the singer issued a cease and desist letter for unauthorized use of the track.
Rolling Stone and Billboard previously reported about the letter written by Beyoncé. On August 20, a video of Trump disembarking from a plane was shared on X by Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung. The video was still available on Chung’s social media handles until Wednesday. The caption read, “Touchdown in Michigan!! @realDonaldTrump.”
According to USA Today, the video has been removed following Beyoncé’s move. On the other hand, Kamala Harris has also used the song. Harris who is the Vice President is also the Democratic candidate for the US presidential campaign.
According to the publication, the singer has yet to make public who she supports as a presidential candidate, but those close to the singer have endorsed Harris, including her mother, Tina Knowles.
To recall, Beyoncé sang the national anthem at Barack Obama’s swearing-in ceremony in 2013 and also supported Joe Biden on social media in 2020.
Beyoncé’s move against the use of unauthorized songs comes after a similar situation with Celine Dion. The Trump campaign also used her 1997 hit song My Heart Will Go On at a Montana rally earlier this month.
Dion’s team said the track was used without permission and did not reflect the singer’s support for the campaign.
According to the outlet, another reason Trump’s name made headlines was because he posted AI-generated images of Taylor Swift on his social media platform Truth Social, allegedly supporting his campaign.
According to the publication, the Wildest Dreams singer has expressed anti-Trump sentiments in the past. Meanwhile, an AI-generated image read, “Taylor wants you to vote for Donald Trump,” which allegedly depicted her as Uncle Sam.
Many on social media have been talking about Trump’s unauthorized use of the hit track, especially after the latest news about the Cowboy Carter singer’s ‘cease and desist’ letter.
Also read: Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter version vs. Dolly Parton’s original Jolene: A look at the biggest differences
