Neil Young sues Trump 47 Committee over ‘Rockin’ in the Free World’
Neil Young seeks $10 million and a court order after alleging his song was used without a license at a Trump rally.
By Bianca Rossi · Entertainment Editor
2 min read
Neil Young has filed a Neil Young Trump lawsuit seeking $10 million from the Trump 47 Committee Inc., alleging the political action committee used his 1989 song “Rockin’ in the Free World” without permission. The case was filed Monday, Oct. 26, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, according to Reuters.
Young says the song was played before President Donald Trump took the stage at an Oct. 12 rally in Youngstown, Ohio, held in support of Republican midterm candidates. The complaint alleges the committee did not have a license or Young’s permission to use it.
The lawsuit is a copyright-infringement allegation, not a court finding. Young also alleges the recording was used at other rallies connected to the midterm election campaign.
Why is Neil Young suing the Trump 47 Committee?
The filing centers on the alleged use of “Rockin’ in the Free World” at the Ohio event and an earlier legal dispute over the same song. Reuters reported that Young previously sued Trump’s campaign in 2020 over the use of this track and another Young song at campaign rallies.
According to the new complaint, the earlier campaign entity settled that case and promised it would not use “Rockin’ in the Free World” again without a license. The current suit says the alleged 2026 use broke that promise, though the terms and value of the 2020 settlement were not disclosed.
Young is asking the Virginia court for $10 million in damages and an injunction barring further use of his songs for the political purpose described in the complaint. Those are requests to the court, not awards that have been granted.
The complaint also contends that the use of the song could suggest that Young supports Trump and says that has harmed the musician’s reputation and brand, Variety reported. It describes the song’s political message as inconsistent with Trump’s values, a position attributed to Young’s filing.
The named defendant is Trump 47 Committee Inc., not Trump personally. Reuters identified the case as Young v. Trump 47 Committee Inc., No. 3:26-cv-01398.
White House spokespeople did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment. Courthouse News reported that the PAC did not respond to its request, and Reuters said attorney information for the organization was not yet available.
The dispute now returns Young and a Trump-linked political organization to court over a song that was already at the center of the 2020 case. Whether the committee infringed Young’s copyright or violated any earlier settlement remains for the court to decide.
This story draws on original reporting from Variety.