Former President Donald Trump and Isaac Hayes are embroiled in a legal battle. Hayes’ estate took the former to task for not getting his permission before using one of his iconic hits at his campaign rallies, and Trump was hit with a $3 million lawsuit over the use. The controversy began when Isaac Hayes III publicly pointed out the unauthorized use of his father’s son at Trump’s campaign rallies.
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Hayes’ $3 million lawsuit against Trump
Attorneys for the Hayes estate have filed a cease-and-desist order against Trump for using “Hold On” at his rallies without permission and have demanded $3 million in damages. They have also demanded that all campaign videos featuring the song be removed from all public domains and that a public statement be made stating that the use of the song at the rallies was unauthorized.
Before the lawsuit, Hayes III expressed his disappointment and intention to take legal action against the unauthorized use of his father’s song for campaign purposes on social media. He wrote, “Today, on the anniversary of my father’s (Isaac Hayes) death, we have repeatedly asked Donald Trump, the RNC and its representatives not to use ‘Hold on I’m Coming’ by Isaac Hayes and David Porter at campaign events, but in Montana they have used it once again.”
The lawyer explained that the $3 million compensation amount was a “discount fee” because the statutory amount would cost the former president $150,000 per unauthorized use of the song. In addition, failure to comply could lead to another lawsuit with an increased total amount based on the frequency of the song’s use.
Hayes III recently made another post on X expressing his disappointment over the song’s constant use at rallies, writing, “Imagine asking someone to stop playing a song that belongs to your family for two years and they just keep doing it. And then people get mad when you do something to stop it. Such a disgrace. Artists and their heirs have rights too.”
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Unauthorized use of songs by Trump in the past
Trump’s unauthorized use of Hayes’ son is not the first incident of this kind. Trump has been called out by several celebrities in the past for using their songs without vetting at his campaign rallies. These musicians included big names like Adele, Rihanna, Elton John and Bruce Springsteen.
Following Trump’s announcement, Hayes’ estate stood firm, writing on social media: “Once again, the estate and family of Isaac Hayes did NOT approve of Donald Trump’s use of ‘Hold On I’m Coming’ by Sam and Dave in his announcement of his 2024 presidential candidacy this evening.”
Hayes’ lawsuit is one of many legal battles Trump is facing, including the Justice Department’s investigation into misuse of official documents and various investigations in New York.
