A flashback this morning (via Rolling Stone):
Linkin Park issued a cease and desist against Donald Trump after the president’s team used their music without permission in a campaign video posted on Twitter Saturday.
The tweet that embedded the two-minute video — posted by White House social media director Dan Scavino and retweeted by Trump — now states, “This media has been disabled in response to a report by the copyright owner.”
— Dan Scavino (@DanScavino) July 17, 2020
Machine Shop Entertainment, Linkin Park’s business arm and management company, filed the Digital Millennium Copyright Act takedown notice, Variety reports.
“Linkin Park did not and does not endorse Trump, nor authorize his organization to use any of our music,” the band tweeted Saturday night after the Trump ad used a cover of their hit “In the End.” “A cease and desist has been issued.”
…
According to Variety, the version of “In the End” that featured in the Trump video was recorded by Tommee Profitt featuring Fleurie and Jung Youth, the latter whom tweeted Saturday, “Earlier today I found out that trump illegally used a cover song that I am part of in a propaganda video which he tweeted…anyone who knows me knows I stand firmly against bigotry and racism. Much love to everyone in the twitter community who helped get the video taken down.”
In a right-on bit of foredooming in January 2017, Linkin Park lead singer, Chester Bennington, tweeted this:
I repeat….. Trump is a greater threat to the USA than terrorism!! We have to take back our voices and stand for what we believe in
— Chester Bennington (@ChesterBe) January 30, 2017
Sadly, Bennington died by suicide that following July. He was ahead of the curve, though.
Linkin Park was one of my favorites a decade or so ago, and really haven’t paid them much attention in years until this morning — this was my near-theme song for awhile, the video way-potent:
I’ll face myself to cross out what I’ve become
Erase myself
And let go of what I’ve done’
(Illustration: Pablo Picasso’s ‘Agonizing Horse,’ found here),