Neil Young is seeking $10 million in damages after alleging that a Trump fundraising committee used his 1989 song at an Ohio political rally without permission, reviving a dispute over the track’s use at Donald Trump events.
Neil Young has filed a $10 million copyright lawsuit against Trump 47 Committee Inc., alleging that the organisation used his song ‘Rockin’ In The Free World’ at a midterm election rally in Youngstown, Ohio, despite his longstanding objections to its use in Donald Trump’s political campaigns.
The complaint was filed on 26 October in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. Young alleges that the song was played at the 12 October rally without the necessary licence or his permission. He is seeking damages, legal costs and an injunction to prevent further unauthorised political use of his music.
The action marks another chapter in Young’s long-running dispute with Trump over the use of his catalogue at political events. A previous lawsuit against Trump’s 2020 presidential campaign ended in a settlement, which Young’s latest complaint says included a commitment that ‘Rockin’ In The Free World’ would not be used again without a licence and his permission.
Trump 47 Committee Inc. is the named defendant in the new case. Donald Trump is not personally named as a defendant.
Young, through the complaint, alleges that the committee had neither a licence nor his permission to use the song at political events. The filing further claims that Trump was personally aware that a licence would be required and that Young would not grant one.
Young also issued a statement addressing the renewed dispute, making clear that his objection extends beyond the financial value of the song.
“Thanks for coming to so many of our shows in the 80s and 90s. I am sorry it came to this, but money and transactions are something you understand. You have done so many things that are un-American, I can’t let you use my song in your political campaigns. I thought we had an understanding about that from the last time it happened. This music is who I am.”
The complaint argues that the song’s use at Trump events risks creating a false impression that Young supports the president or his political agenda.
In the filing, Young describes ‘Rockin’ In The Free World’ as a song about the gap between American political rhetoric and the realities experienced by people living in poverty. The complaint characterises its chorus as deliberately ironic, set against verses depicting homelessness, addiction and social neglect.
“The song is the opposite of everything that Donald J. Trump stands for,” the complaint states.
Young’s dispute with Trump over the song dates back to 2015, when it was played at Trump’s presidential campaign launch at Trump Tower in New York. Young’s representatives objected to the use, making clear that the musician had not authorised the campaign to associate his music with the candidate.
The issue resurfaced in 2020, when Young sued Donald J. Trump for President Inc. in federal court in New York over the use of ‘Rockin’ In The Free World’ and ‘Devil’s Sidewalk’, a song from Young’s 2003 album Greendale.
That case was voluntarily dismissed with prejudice in December 2020 following a settlement. According to the new complaint, the earlier agreement required the Trump campaign organisation not to use ‘Rockin’ In The Free World’ again without a licence and Young’s permission.
The distinction between the two cases is important. The earlier lawsuit named Donald J. Trump for President Inc., while the latest action names Trump 47 Committee Inc. The new complaint alleges that the 2026 use breached the commitments established in the earlier settlement. Whether the prior agreement applies to the current defendant, and the precise legal consequences of the alleged use, remain matters for the court.
Young’s latest complaint also alleges that the song has been played at other rallies organised to encourage votes for Republican candidates ahead of the US midterm elections on 3 November.
Released in 1989 on Young’s album Freedom, ‘Rockin’ In The Free World’ became one of his most recognisable protest songs. Its muscular guitar riff and repeated chorus can sound like an uncomplicated celebration of America, but the lyrics deliver a far more critical picture of the country.
Written during the presidency of George H.W. Bush, the song examines social inequality, political promises and the human consequences of neglect. Its tension between the language of freedom and the conditions experienced by vulnerable Americans has helped sustain its relevance across successive political eras.
That contrast is central to Young’s objection. He argues that playing the song as walk-on music at a Trump rally misrepresents both its meaning and his own political position.
Young has a long record of using music to express political views. His work has included direct criticism of US administrations and support for causes including Farm Aid, the organisation he co-founded with Willie Nelson and John Mellencamp to support family farmers.
Young is among a number of high-profile musicians who have objected to the use of their work at Trump campaign events. The White Stripes, Rihanna, Pharrell Williams, Axl Rose and Linkin Park have all publicly challenged political uses of their music. The estates of Tom Petty and Sinéad O’Connor have also objected to the use of their artists’ work.
Such disputes raise questions about the distinction between music licensing for public performance and an artist’s approval of a political endorsement. A performance licence does not necessarily amount to an artist’s personal endorsement of the event, while artists can also challenge uses they believe infringe their copyright or other legal rights.
Young’s case has an additional complication because of the earlier settlement. His legal team is seeking $10 million in damages and an injunction to prevent further performances of the song at events organised or arranged by the committee.
The complaint is listed as Young v. Trump 47 Committee Inc., case number 3:26-cv-01398, in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.
The allegations have yet to be determined by the court. The lawsuit seeks to establish whether the committee’s alleged use infringed Young’s rights and what remedies, if any, should follow.
For Young, the central issue is control over how his music is used and the political associations that may be inferred from its performance. His latest legal action makes clear that he does not want ‘Rockin’ In The Free World’ serving as a soundtrack for Trump’s campaign events.
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