Foo Fighters disapproved of Donald Trump’s use of “My Hero” at a rally

For the Foo Fighters, Donald Trump is not a hero.

The former president and convicted felon performed the band’s 1997 hit, “My Hero,” at a rally in Glendale, Arizona, to applaud Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s support for him – but the rockers say they did not give Trump’s team permission to do so.

“Foo Fighters were not asked for permission, and if they had been, they would not have granted it,” says a spokesman for the band. Weekly entertainmentThe spokesperson also confirmed that the group will donate all royalties it receives from Trump’s use of the song to Kamala Harris’ campaign.

The band’s official X account posted a screenshot of an exchange with another user with the caption, “Let’s get this straight.” In the online exchange, the user asked the band if they had given Trump permission to use the song, to which the group simply replied, “No.”

Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl has not hidden his disdain for the 45th president in the past. In a 2018 GQ In his profile, the singer and multi-instrumentalist said, “I am ashamed of our president. When I travel, I apologize for it,” adding, “What hurts me most about Trump is this: He seems like a huge idiot to me.”

During the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, the musician also criticized the Trump administration’s hope to reopen schools before a vaccine was distributed. “Distance learning is an inconvenient and hopefully temporary solution,” Grohl, whose mother was a teacher, said in a YouTube video. “But as much as Donald Trump’s conductorless orchestra would love for the country to open schools early in the name of rosy optics, ask any science teacher what they think of White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany’s remark that science shouldn’t get in the way. It would be foolish to do so at the expense of our children, teachers and schools.”

This is not the first song Trump has been advised against using during the 2024 campaign. Beyoncé reportedly threatened the Republican candidate’s team with a possible cease and desist after campaign spokesman Steven Cheung posted a video featuring her song “Freedom.” The video has since been deleted. Vice President Harris has used “Freedom” repeatedly throughout her campaign, including at this week’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

Earlier this month, Celine Dion criticized Trump’s use of “My Heart Will Go On” at a rally. “This use is in no way authorized and Celine Dion does not endorse this or any similar use,” she wrote on Instagram. “…And really, THIS song?”

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Foo Fighters performed at Joe Biden’s inauguration in 2021 and also criticized John McCain’s 2008 campaign for using “My Hero.” “It is frustrating and infuriating that someone who claims to speak for the American people repeatedly shows such little respect for creativity and intellectual property,” the band said in a statement at the time. “The saddest part is that ‘My Hero’ was written as a celebration of the common man and his extraordinary potential. For it to be appropriated without our knowledge and used in a way that perverts the original sentiment of the lyrics simply tarnishes the song.”