Rock icon Neil Young is not giving up his fight to keep his song, “Rockin’ in the Free World,” out of rallies with President Donald Trump. On October 26, 2026, Rolling Stone reported that Young, 80, has sued a Trump fundraising committee for $10 million over their use of the song at recent Ohio rally.
Neil Young’s Lawyers Say Trump’s Team is Ignoring Their Previous Settlement
Rolling Stone accessed a the five-page filing by Young that said Trump was “personally aware that a license would be required” to play his 1989 hit but that Young “has not and would not grant the required license.” The new lawsuit was filed in federal court in Virginia, where the fundraising committee is based, and claims the song was played at a rally in Youngstown, Ohio, when Trump made a speech on October 12.
This is Young’s second lawsuit against Trump; in 2020, they reached a settlement in which Trump allegedly agreed to never use Young’s music without permission, per the complain reviewed by Rolling Stone.
Trump is not named as an individual defendant in the complaint, but the organizers of many of his rallies. Young and his lawyers, Robert Besser and Scott Simmons, wrote that the song “Rockin’ in the Free World” is a “blistering anthem that contrasts the hollow promises of American political rhetoric with the harsh realities faced by the poor, homeless, and forgotten,” the complaint says.
It continues, “The lyrics paint vivid street-level portraits of a mother discarding her baby, addicts lost in despair, garbage piling in the shadows of prosperity, while the repeated chorus delivers a savage irony, celebrating freedom that clearly isn’t shared by all.”
The legal document also says “Rockin’ in the Free World,” which was named Rolling Stone’s best vintage rock song of 2026, “is the opposite of everything that Donald J. Trump stands for.”
According to Variety, the lawsuit says the recording of Young’s song has been played “numerous times at other rallies designed to encourage Republican votes in the upcoming mid-term elections.” His team is asking for a full ban on using the tune in any public performance for political purposes as well as $10 million in damages for the existing use.
“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 lawsuit claims.
Neil Young is Among Many Stars Who’ve Asked That Their Music Not Be Played at Trump Events
Trump is known for dancing to the Village People’s “Y.M.C.A” after his speech in Michigan on October 26. But much of the music his team uses has raised red flags with numerous artists in addition to Young. The list of singers and songwriters who’ve issued statements, demanded changes, or even filed lawsuits ranges from Céline Dion to the family of Isaac Hayes.
In July, the White House posted a video clips of exploding missiles with Katy Perry’s 2010 hit “Firework” playing underneath it, and captioned it, “Iran has been warned.”
Perry fired back by tweeting on July 25, “I am deeply appalled and angry to see ‘Firework’ used on the @WhiteHouse TikTok account as a backing track for video footage of military strikes. I did not approve this, I was not asked, and I absolutely do not condone it.”
Others have gone about it much more quietly, like Taylor Swift and Bad Bunny, per Rolling Stone, which reported that both artists muted their songs on posts issued by Trump. In August, an account called Team Trump posted a TikTok video of the President and First Lady watching fireworks from their balcony, with Swift’s song “August” playing underneath. Swift’s team swooped in and removed the song, so listeners were left with the message: “The copyright owner hasn’t made this sound available in your country.”
Other artists who’ve taken action to try to get their songs stripped from Trump’s videos and rallies in 2026 have included Noah Kahan, Ariana Grande, Olivia Rodrigo, Sabrina Carpenter, and Kenny Loggins.
Music Icon Neil Young Files $10 Million Lawsuit After His Song is Played at Trump Rallies