No. Foo Fighters said the Trump campaign did not ask the band for permission to play “My Hero” at a 2024 Arizona rally, and that the band would not have approved the use. The campaign was separately reported to say it had a license. Those claims address different questions: the band’s personal approval is not the same as whether a public-performance license covered the event.
What Foo Fighters said about the song’s use
After “My Hero” was played at a Trump campaign rally in Arizona, a Foo Fighters spokesperson told CBS News on August 24, 2024: “Foo Fighters were not asked permission and if they were, they would have not granted it.” The spokesperson also said that any royalties the band received as a result would be donated to the Harris-Walz campaign. CBS News reported the band’s statement and the royalty pledge.
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What the campaign reportedly claimed
The Independent reported on August 25, 2024, that the Trump campaign said it had a license to play the song. The report attributes the license claim to the campaign; the available account does not include the license paperwork or establish whether the song was covered by a license at the time of the rally.
A campaign’s reported license claim does not mean Foo Fighters personally approved or endorsed the use. Conversely, the band’s statement that it was not asked does not, by itself, establish that no separate public-performance license existed.
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How campaign music licensing can differ from artist approval
BMI’s guidance describes a Political Entities License that authorizes public performance of works in BMI’s repertoire at events and functions hosted by political campaigns and organizations. It also states that a venue’s license does not cover an event hosted by a campaign. See BMI’s guidance for political entities and organizations.
BMI’s published license agreement says BMI may exclude a work after receiving an objection from a songwriter or publisher and notifying the licensee. The agreement describes the political license as covering public-performance rights; other rights, such as synchronization or master-use rights, may require separate clearance, particularly when a work is used frequently or becomes associated with a campaign. Read BMI’s Music Performance License Agreement.
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These rules provide general context, not a finding about the Arizona performance. The available sources do not establish the event’s license paperwork, whether BMI received or acted on an objection or exclusion notice, or whether any rights beyond public performance were involved.
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What is—and is not—established
| Question | What the cited sources establish |
|---|---|
| Did Foo Fighters personally approve the use? | No. The band said it was not asked and would not have granted permission. |
| Did the campaign say it had a license? | Yes. The Independent reported that claim; the license document is not included in the cited reporting. |
| Did BMI’s general policy allow a campaign-hosted public performance under a political license? | BMI says its Political Entities License covers public performances of works in its repertoire at campaign-hosted events and that a venue license does not cover a campaign-hosted event. |
| Was “My Hero” covered by a license for this rally, or later excluded after an objection? | Not established by the available sources. |
| Was a separate synchronization or master-use right required or obtained? | Not established for this event. BMI’s agreement describes those rights as separate from public-performance rights. |
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