Jack White and Meg White, members of the White Stripes, sued Trump, his campaign, and his deputy director of communications, Margo McAtee Martin, on Monday in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York.
Trump and his campaign used the song’s iconic opening riff in a video of him boarding a plane for campaign stops in Michigan and Wisconsin last month.
Sharing the complaint on Instagram, Jack White wrote, “This machine sues fascists.”
In the complaint, the White Stripes accused Trump and his campaign of “flagrant misappropriation” of one of the “most well-known and influential musical works of all time.”
“Defendants did not seek a license from Plaintiffs to use the ‘Seven Nation Army’ work, but even if they had, Plaintiffs would not have granted one because Plaintiffs do not endorse, and do not want to be associated with Defendants in any manner,” the lawsuit stated, as per the Detroit News.
“In total disregard of those considerations and Plaintiffs’ rights under federal law, Defendants decided that they would rather ask for forgiveness than seek permission, and incorporated the famous riff from the ‘Seven Nation Army’ work in the infringing Trump videos without authorization,” it added.
The lawsuit also stated that the band objected to Trump’s use of the song because its members “vehemently oppose the policies adopted and actions taken by Defendant Trump during his presidency and those he has proposed for the second term he seeks,” according to CNN.
Last month, Jack White indicated that he would pursue legal action after Margo Martin, a deputy director of communications for the Trump campaign, shared a since-deleted video of Trump boarding a plane with “Seven Nation Army” playing on social media.
This is not the first time an artist has criticized Trump for using their songs at rallies. Recently, Celine Dion, Foo Fighters, and ABBA have also expressed their disapproval of Trump using their music in his 2024 election campaign.
Last month, Foo Fighters stated that they did not authorise the Trump campaign to use their song “My Hero,” which was played at a rally in Arizona where Trump was joined by Robert Kennedy Jr, shortly after Kennedy endorsed the former president.
Pop star Celine Dion’s management team released a statement condemning the use of her classic song “My Heart Will Go On” during a campaign rally.