Beyoncé has threatened to send a cease-and-desist order to the presidential campaign of former President Donald Trump over their use of her 2016 track Freedom in a social media clip.
An insider close to the Crazy in Love singer, 42, told Rolling Stone that the legal threat came after Trump’s team used the track in a clip posted on the social media page of Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung Tuesday.
The tweet, which appeared to have been removed as of Wednesday afternoon, was underscored by the track and read, ‘Touchdown in Michigan!! @realDonaldTrump,’ showing the former president getting off an airplane.
The track, which was first released on Beyoncé’s 2016 album, was described by the outlet as Kamala Harris’ ‘unofficial campaign song’ and has been used for weeks in Harris’ ads with permission from the superstar singer.
Trump’s campaign was never granted permission to use the song, a source close to the Houston-born musical artist told the outlet.
Beyoncé, 42, has threatened to send a cease-and-desist order to the presidential campaign of former President Donald Trump over their use of her 2016 track Freedom in a social media clip. Pictured in LA in 2023
Trump was pictured on the campaign trail Monday in York, Pennsylvania
Freedom was also used in a spot in conjunction with the Democratic National Convention kicking off earlier this week in Chicago, with Academy Award nominee Jeffrey Wright narrating over the track.
In the ad, Wright said, ‘What kind of America do we want? One where we’re divided, angry, depressed? C’mon! We’re Americans! Fascism? We conquered it. The moon? Landed on it. The future? Building it. Freedom? Nobody loves it more.’
Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, has also played the track (which features Kendrick Lamar) at multiple events on the campaign trail.
Trump has past found himself at the scrutiny of artists whose material he has played at his rallies without the permission of the performers.
They include Céline Dion and Phil Collins, and the estates of late artists such as Sinéad O’Connor, Isaac Hayes and Tom Petty.
Beyoncé has not publicly commented on who she is endorsing in the race, but in the past has shown her support for Democrats.
She performed at ex-President Barack Obama’s 2013 inauguration and in 2020 took to social media to support President Joe Biden.
Earlier this month, an insider told Dailymail.com that ‘Beyoncé has cleared her schedule to attend a Kamala Harris fundraiser,’ as she ‘decided to step back in after people close to her showed her’ Trump’s Project 2025 plans.
Beyoncé was pictured in NYC this past February
The singer was seen at the iHeartRadio Music Awards in LA in April
Beyoncé’s mom Tina Knowles, 70, has been direct in her support for Vice President Harris in her campaign.
Knowles took to Instagram last month praising Biden for ‘putting personal Ego, power and fame aside’ in dropping out of the race in July, saying it ‘was best for the country’ and that Biden defined what it was to be ‘a great leader’ in doing so.
She praised Harris for her ‘new, youthful, sharp’ energy, adding, ‘Go Vice President Kamala Harris for President. Let’s Go #kamala2024.’
Dailymail.com has reached out to reps for Beyoncé for comment on the story.
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