Trump’s team removes video featuring Beyoncé song

Former President Donald Trump’s campaign has taken down a video featuring a Beyoncé song after reports the singer’s camp wasn’t too about happy the use of “Freedom.”
According to Billboard and Rolling Stone, the singer’s record label and music publisher sent a cease-and-desist notice to Trump’s presidential campaign over its use of the song without approval.
Rolling Stone was first to report the news that the “Cowboy Carter” artist did not clear her song for the former president to use. USA TODAY has reached out to Beyoncé’s representatives for comment.
Steven Cheung, a spokesperson for Trump, shared a video on his own X account of the former president walking off a plane on Aug. 20 set to the tune of 2016 song “Freedom.” As of Wednesday afternoon, the video remained on Cheung’s social media account.
“Touchdown in Michigan!! @realDonaldTrump,” the caption read.
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Later in the evening, the X post was taken down.
“Freedom” from Beyoncé’s 2016 acclaimed album “Lemonade” has become the unofficial anthem for Vice President and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign.
As fans know, Beyoncé’s camp gave Harris swift approval to use the song featuring Kendrick Lamar throughout her campaign back in July.
Harris used the song during her first official visit to her campaign headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware — one day after President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 presidential race and endorsed Harris.
Trump’s video using “Freedom” comes amid the Democratic National Convention, which is taking place in Chicago. Beyoncé’s song has been widely played throughout the convention.
It should be noted that the singer has not publicly endorsed a presidential candidate yet, but those in her close circle have backed Harris including her mom Tina Knowles.
The alleged misuse of Beyoncé’s song is not the first mishap Trump’s team has had in recent days amid his bid for president.
On Sunday, Trump took to his social media platform Truth Social and posted several suspected artificial intelligence-generated images alluding to Taylor Swift and Swifties’ support for his campaign, despite the singer expressing disdain for the Republican nominee in the past.
“Taylor wants you to vote for Donald Trump,” reads one generated image of Swift as Uncle Sam, while another seemingly AI image, marked as satire, reads, “Swifties turning to Trump after ISIS foiled Taylor Swift concert.” The image references a suspected terrorist plot planned for Swift’s Vienna concert earlier this month. Austrian authorities, with help from U.S. officials, thwarted the attack.
The pictures include a mix of real and AI images, including of Swifties for Trump supporters, akin to the real group MAGA Swifties.
Though stopping short of endorsing a candidate in the 2024 election as of yet, Swift has increasingly vocalized her political views in recent years.
Contributing: Taijuan Moorman, USA TODAY
Follow Caché McClay, the USA TODAY Network’s Beyoncé Knowles-Carter reporter, on Instagram, TikTok and X as @cachemcclay.