They’re never going to be friends — ever.
The White Stripes rocker Jack White followed through with his recent promise to sue Donald Trump, filing a copyright infringement lawsuit Monday along with bandmate Meg White over Trump’s unauthorized use of the duo’s classic rock anthem “Seven Nation Army” in a campaign video.
According to the complaint obtained by Rolling Stone, Trump and his team engaged in “flagrant misappropriation” of the hit song when they used its “highly-distinctive and immediately recognizable introductory riff” as the soundtrack to a video showing Trump boarding a plane to the crucial swing states of Michigan and Wisconsin. The lawsuit alleges Trump’s team shared the video on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Instagram in an effort to infuse his campaign with “energy,” “excitement,” and cash.
“This machine sues fascists,” White wrote in an Instagram post Monday that announced the lawsuit. In a related post two weeks ago, White shared the disputed video clip, vowed to sue, and offered a “double fuck you” to Trump after one of his aides allegedly pushed a staffer at Arlington National Cemetery during a visit to the burial ground on Aug. 26.
“Oh….Don’t even think about using my music you fascists. Law suit coming from my lawyers about this [to add to your 5 thousand others],” White wrote in the post. “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.”
Trump, his campaign, and his spokesperson Margo Martin are listed as defendants in the new complaint that’s seeking “significant monetary damages.” (Trump’s campaign did not immediately respond to Rolling Stone‘s request for comment.) One of the lawyers representing Trump in his battle with the Isaac Hayes estate over Trump’s use of “Hold On, I’m Coming” said he was representing Trump for the White Stripes lawsuit as well. “This office is handling the matter,” Trump lawyer Ronald Coleman with Dhillon Law Group said in a reply email sent Monday afternoon. “We have not had an opportunity to review the claims.”
The presidential candidate is no stranger to public criticism from a long list of artists opposed to his use of their music. In a recent case similar to this one, Beyoncé threatened legal action after a Trump spokesperson used her song “Freedom” in a video showing Trump getting off a plane. While Beyoncé did give Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign permission to use the song, a source close to the musician told Rolling Stone they “absolutely did not give permission” to Trump’s campaign, and that Bey’s label had threatened to issue a cease and desist. Other musicians and estates who don’t want Trump using their music include Céline Dion, the Foo Fighters, Neil Young, ABBA, the Village People and Sinéad O’Connor’s estate.
In their Monday lawsuit, the White Stripes said “Seven Nation Army” is “among the most well-known and influential musical works of all time.” They said Trump and his campaign sought to use the song to “burnish” his public image and “generate financial and other support for his campaign and candidacy on the backs of plaintiffs, whose permission and endorsement he neither sought nor obtained in violation of their rights under federal copyright law.”
The duo went on to blast Trump for the alleged infringement considering he’s a “self-professed sophisticated and successful businessman with decades-long experience in the entertainment industry.” They said it was especially egregious after they “publicly denounced” his use of the same song during his 2016 campaign, adding they were “disgusted by that association.”
“Plaintiffs vehemently oppose the policies adopted and actions taken by defendant Trump when he was president and those he has proposed for the second term he seeks,” the lawsuit filed in federal court in Manhattan reads.
The complaint alleges the infringing video attracted at least 65,000 views and 700 reposts in a matter of hours after first appearing on X. “Through discovery, plaintiffs will determine the amount of financial contributions that are attributable to the infringing Trump videos,” the lawsuit seeking a jury trial states.