# Neil Young Hits Trump With $10M Lawsuit for Playing ‘Rockin’ in the Free World’ at Rally — Again

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/neil-young-hits-trump-with-10m-lawsuit-for-playing-rockin-in-the-free-world-at-rally-again/
- Published: 2026-10-27T00:08:34+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-27T01:10:08+00:00
- Original publisher: Billboard
- Original article: https://www.billboard.com/pro/neil-young-trump-lawsuit-song-midterm-election-rally/
- Topics: Entertainment, Music

## Key points

- Young seeks $10 million over rally use of his song.
- He says a 2020 settlement promised the song would not be reused.
- The lawsuit also seeks to prevent further use.

## Summary

New coverage confirms that Neil Young’s latest copyright case seeks $10 million and an injunction against further use of “Rockin’ in the Free World” by Donald Trump’s political action committee. Young says the unauthorised playing of the song could harm his reputation by implying he supports Trump.

The complaint concerns the 1989 track being used as Trump’s walk-up music at an October 12 midterm election rally in Youngstown, Ohio. Young says he never licensed its use and that Trump’s campaign settled a similar 2020 lawsuit with a promise not to play it without permission; the White House had not immediately commented.

## Coverage

- [Billboard: Neil Young Hits Trump With $10M Lawsuit for Playing ‘Rockin’ in the Free World’ at Rally — Again](https://www.billboard.com/pro/neil-young-trump-lawsuit-song-midterm-election-rally/)
- [Variety: Neil Young Files $10 Million Suit Against Trump for Using ‘Rockin’ in the Free World,’ Six Years After a Prior Settlement Over the Same Song](https://variety.com/2026/music/news/neil-young-files-suit-donald-trump-rockin-in-the-free-world-1236931685/)
- [The Hollywood Reporter: Neil Young Sues Trump for Using “Rockin’ in the Free World” at Rally: “The Opposite of Everything Donald J. Trump Stands For”](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/music/music-news/neil-young-sues-trump-for-using-rockin-in-the-free-world-1236740459/)
- [Consequence: Neil Young Sues Trump for $10 Million Over Use of “Rockin’ in the Free World”](https://consequence.net/2026/10/neil-young-sues-trump-for-10-million-over-use-of-rockin-in-the-free-world/)

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.