Neil Young Sues Trump's PAC for $10 Million Over Same Song Again

Neil Young filed a $10 million copyright lawsuit Monday against Donald J. Trump's political action committee, the Trump 47 Committee Inc., for using his 1989 song "Rockin' in the Free World" as the president's walkup music at midterm election rallies.

This is Young's second suit over the same song. The first, filed in 2020 against a different Trump entity, Donald J. Trump for President Inc., was settled — and now, according to the new complaint, the song is being played again in violation of that agreement.

Variety has reviewed the filing, lodged in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. It specifically cites the song's use at Trump's Oct. 12 rally in Youngstown, Ohio, and notes the recording has played "numerous times at other rallies designed to encourage Republican votes in the upcoming mid-term elections."

The suit demands $10 million in damages plus an injunction (a court order halting further use) against any future public performance of the song for political purposes.

What does the complaint actually say?

Young's filing describes "Rockin' in the Free World" as "a blistering anthem that contrasts the hollow promises of American political rhetoric with the harsh realities faced by the poor, homeless and forgotten."

It continues: "In short, the song is the opposite of everything that Donald J. Trump stands for."

The suit also claims Trump "is now and at the time of all rallies this year was personally aware that a license would be required to play the song at rallies and that Young has not, and would not, grant the required license."

That last point matters legally. Copyright infringement cases turn partly on willfulness — whether the defendant knew permission was required and used the work anyway.

What happened in 2020?

The earlier lawsuit targeted Donald J. Trump for President Inc. and covered "Rockin' in the Free World" plus another Young song. According to the new complaint, that entity "asserted no defense and immediately settled shortly after it was served, promising that it would never again use 'Rockin' in the Free World' without a license and permission from Young."

The new filing does not disclose the financial or other terms of the 2020 settlement.

Why reputation is part of the claim

"Among other things, Young has suffered damage to his reputation and brand as a result of the implication that he supports Donald J. Trump in any way," the suit contends.

That argument fits the musician's public posture. Young has been among the most vocal artists opposing Trump, and his Archives website currently leads with a Robert Reich column headlined "The Tragic Death of the Republican Party."

An unsigned editorial posted on the site's front page on Oct. 1 reads: "Trump by any standards has been the most corrupt president in the history of the United States. What's remarkable is that it's done with little effort to hide it. It's this corruption that appears to finally be motivating his supporters to turn against him."

Is this ignorance or provocation?

Given Young's long-standing opposition, it's hard to tell whether the repeated use of his most famously anti-Republican song reflects carelessness or a deliberate provocation. Variety notes the White House has repeatedly trolled pop stars this year — using their songs in videos promoting ICE or the war in Iran, then mocking the artists when they object on social media.

What does this change for musicians? If Young wins damages and an injunction against a PAC that already settled once, it would sharpen the financial consequences for campaigns that treat artist objections as noise. The case now moves forward in the Eastern District of Virginia.