- The Washington Times - Tuesday, October 27, 2026

Rock veteran Neil Young is suing President Trump’s fundraising committee for using his song “Rockin’ in the Free World” without permission at a recent rally.

The $10 million lawsuit marks the second time Mr. Young has sued the president, following a suit in 2020 that was settled when Mr. Trump agreed not to use “Rockin’ in the Free World” without permission from the singer.

Still, Mr. Trump played the song at a rally in Ohio this month, the lawsuit states, despite being “personally aware that a license would be required.”

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The song is “the opposite of everything that Donald J. Trump stands for,” the suit continues.

The Trump administration has not responded to the lawsuit.

Mr. Trump first used the song in 2015, the first year he ran for the GOP nomination. Mr. Young also criticized its use then.

Mr. Trump has recently received backlash from multiple musical artists — including Olivia Rodrigo, Sabrina Carpenter and Ariana Grande — for using their songs in political videos.

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