Trump Campaign Pulls Beyoncé Song Video After Unauthorized Use; Faces New Controversies

Former President Donald Trump’s campaign has removed a video featuring Beyoncé’s song “Freedom” following reports that the singer’s representatives had not authorized its use. According to Billboard and Rolling Stone, Beyoncé’s record label and music publisher issued a cease-and-desist notice to Trump’s campaign over the unauthorized use of the song.

Rolling Stone first reported that the former president’s campaign did not obtain permission from Beyoncé to use her 2016 track “Freedom” in the video.

The video in question, shared by Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung on X (formerly Twitter), featured footage of Trump disembarking from a plane on Aug. 20, set to the song “Freedom.” The caption read, “Touchdown in Michigan!! @realDonaldTrump.” As of Wednesday, the video remained visible on Cheung’s X account, but it was removed later in the evening.

Beyoncé’s “Freedom,” from her critically acclaimed album “Lemonade,” has been a significant part of Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign. In July, Beyoncé’s team granted Harris permission to use the song, featuring Kendrick Lamar, throughout her campaign. Harris first used the track during her visit to her campaign headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware, shortly after President Joe Biden exited the 2024 presidential race and endorsed Harris.

The use of “Freedom” in Trump’s video coincided with the Democratic National Convention held in Chicago, where Beyoncé’s song was prominently featured. While Beyoncé has not yet publicly endorsed a presidential candidate, those close to her, including her mother Tina Knowles, have shown support for Harris.

Trump’s team has recently faced other controversies related to campaign content. On Sunday, Trump posted several images on his social media platform, Truth Social, that appeared to be generated by artificial intelligence. These images falsely suggested endorsements from Taylor Swift and her fans, despite Swift’s past criticism of Trump. One image depicted Swift as Uncle Sam with the caption, “Taylor wants you to vote for Donald Trump,” while another, marked as satire, referenced a thwarted terrorist plot targeting Swift’s Vienna concert earlier this month.

The images included a mix of real and AI-generated content, portraying supposed Swifties for Trump, resembling the MAGA Swifties group. Although Swift has not yet endorsed a candidate for the 2024 election, she has increasingly voiced her political opinions in recent years.