Jack White blasts Trump’s campaign as ‘fascists,’ threatens lawsuit for using his song in a video

The Detroit rocker also called Trump ‘scum’ for his disgraceful actions at Arlington National Cemetery

Aug 30, 2024 at 9:53 am
Jack White performed at his alma mater Cass Tech at a rally for Bernie Sanders. - Steve Neavling
Steve Neavling
Jack White performed at his alma mater Cass Tech at a rally for Bernie Sanders.

Detroit rocker Jack White slammed Donald Trump, calling him “scum” and his team “fascists,” after the Republican’s presidential campaign used a clip of White’s hit “Seven Nation Army” on a pro-Trump social media post.

White said he’s suing the campaign “to add to your 5 thousand others” after Trump’s deputy director of communications, Margo Martin, posted a brief video clip of Trump boarding a plane with White’s music playing in the background.

“Oh….Don’t even think about using my music you fascists,” White wrote on Instagram. “Law suit coming from my lawyers about this.”

White’s criticism follows a demand from the Swedish band Abba earlier this week for Trump to stop using their music, following the unauthorized use of their songs and video footage at a campaign event.

Other prominent artists who have objected to Trump or his team using their work include Céline Dion, Beyoncé, Johnny Marr of the Smiths, the family of the late soul legend Isaac Hayes, and the estate of the late Irish pop star Sinéad O’Connor.

White also blasted Trump over a recent controversy during his visit earlier this week to a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. According to an Army spokesperson on Thursday, an employee attempting to enforce rules against political activities on cemetery grounds was pushed aside in an altercation reportedly involving two members of Trump’s campaign staff.

“And as long as I’m here, a double fuck you DonOLD for insulting our nation’s veterans at Arlington you scum. You should lose every military family’s vote immediately from that if ANYTHING makes sense anymore.”

In November, White removed his record label, Third Man Records, from what was then called Twitter after the company’s new CEO and right-wing polemicist Elon Musk restored Trump’s account.

“So you gave trump his twitter platform back. Absolutely disgusting, Elon,” White wrote. “That is officially an asshole move.”

In October 2019, White performed to a crowd of more than 5,000 Bernie Sanders supporters at his alma mater, Cass Technical High School in Detroit.