Linkin Park have sent a cease and desist letter to Donald Trump, after he retweeted a campaign-style video featuring one of the band’s songs.
The group’s track In The End was used to soundtrack a pro-Trump video posted on Twitter by staff member Dan Scavino, which was then shared on the president’s page.
However, it didn’t stay up for all that long at all, and within a few hours, the clip had been pulled from the
Social Media site, and replaced by a message reading: “This media has been disabled in response to a report by the copyright owner.”pic.twitter.com/ioVHmZnPzU— Dan Scavino (@DanScavino) July 17, 2020Making their stance explicitly clear, a message was then posted on Linkin Park’s
Twitter page, which said: “Linkin Park did not and does not endorse Trump, nor authorise his organisation to use any of our music.
“A cease and desist has been issued.”Linkin Park did not and does not endorse Trump, nor authorize his organization to use any of our music. A cease and desist has been issued.— LINKIN PARK (@linkinpark) July 19, 2020Twitter told Sky News that they respond to “valid copyright complaints sent to us by a copyright owner or their authorised representatives”.
Since the clip was taken down, fans have been re-sharing a tweet criticising
Donald Trump which was posted by Linkin Park’s late frontman Chester Bennington in 2015, which read: “Donald Trump is a greater threat to the
United States than terrorism.”Donald Trump is a greater threat to the United States than terrorism.— Chester Bennington (@ChesterBe) December 11, 2015Bennington went on to repeat this message in tweets posted in 2016 and 2017.
Linkin Park is far from the first musical act to take issue with their
music being used in conjunction with Trump, though.Last year, Sharon Osbourne blasted the US leader for using the Black Sabbath track Crazy Train in a campaign video, and making it clear that Trump was “forbidden” from using her husband Ozzy’s music in future videos or at his rallies.
A year earlier,
Rihanna issued a typically withering response after learning that her song Don’t Stop The Music was being played at pro-Trump political events, writing: “Not for much longer… me nor my people would ever be at or around one of those tragic rallies, so thanks for the heads up!”
A week earlier,
Singer and music producer Pharrell Williams also sent the POTUS a cease and desist letter, after his tune Happy was played at a Trump rally on the same day as a massacre at a synagogue in Pittsburgh.