Since launching her presidential campaign, Kamala Harris has used Beyoncé’s “Freedom” as a soundtrack to her candidacy — with the artist’s permission. On Tuesday, a Donald Trump campaign spokesperson appeared to co-opt the song, using it in a video of the former president deplaning in Michigan for a campaign event.
“Touchdown in Michigan!!” Steven Cheung wrote in the post on X. He also tagged Trump, who recently returned to the platform.
The Trump campaign has used songs without artists’ permission over the years. Several musicians or their estates have asked Trump to stop using their songs at his rallies, and some have threatened legal action.
The GOP campaign spokesperson’s use of a song that Harris had established as her anthem of sorts is somewhat ironic. Trump recently accused the Democratic nominee of stealing his proposal to end taxes on tips, a policy she floated earlier this month and one he initially put forward in June. (Though neither candidate has released their full plan, many economists have criticized the idea, saying it would result in workers pressuring customers to tip more and encourage Americans to declare more of their income as tips.) Cheung’s video may prompt legal action from Beyoncé, who is known to be protective over the rights to her music. The singer has not commented publicly on the video. When reached for comment by The Hill, Cheung responded: “Freedom, freedom!”
Clarissa-Jan Lim is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW. She was previously a senior reporter and editor at BuzzFeed News.
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