Exit light, enter gripe: Metallica forces US Department of Defense to withdraw social media video
The Department of Defense sent out a post on X on Friday (11 July) that featured Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth promoting the country's military drone capabilities.
The original version of the video included the band's classic 1991 track 'Enter Sandman'.
However, it did not remain online for long, as Metallica promptly issued a copyright notice.
The Department of Defense subsequently withdrew the video, posting a version without 'Enter Sandman'.
A Pentagon spokesperson said: 'Representatives from X reached out to DoD regarding a video posted to our social media page and asked that the video be removed due to a copyright issue with the song 'Enter Sandman' by Metallica. The video has been taken down, corrected, and re-uploaded to our page.'
This is far from the first time that the Trump administration has used artists' work without authorisation.
There is an extensive list of musicians who have objected to Trump's authorized use of their songs. These include ABBA, The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, Rihanna, Neil Young, R.E.M., Guns N' Roses, Woodkid and Beyoncé.
Sinead O'Connor's estate previously issued Trump with cease-and-desist orders, while Isaac Hayes' estate sued him for 134 counts of copywright infringement.
Céline Dion also condemned the use of her song from the Oscar-winning film Titanic, 'My Heart Will Go On', which was used at one of Trump's rallies. Dion's team questioned the song choice, writing: "And really, THAT song?'
Another band which added their name to the ever-growing list of artists who have sued Trump over the illegal use of their songs in campaign videos was The White Stripes. Last year, the rock band highlighted the 'flagrant misappropriation' of their hit song 'Seven Nation Army'. Jack White captioned a copy of the legal complaint in an Instagram post with: 'This machine sues fascists.'
The most recent example, prior to Metallica, was celebrated US rock band Semisonic, who pushed back at the White House in March for using their Grammy-nominated hit song 'Closing Time' over a social media post that shows a shackled deportee.
The White House added the 1998 song in a post of a man with his wrists handcuffed to his waist as he is patted down at an airport. The video was captioned with the song's lyrics: 'You don't have to go home but you can't stay here.'
US Customs and Border Protection retweeted the White House's post on X with the caption 'It's closing time. We are making America safe again.'
The band responded by posting on X: 'We did not authorize or condone the White House's use of our song in any way. And no, they didn't ask. The song is about joy and possibilities and hope, and they have missed the point entirely.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
13 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Powell asks watchdog to probe Fed HQ renovations as Trump pressure grows
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell told lawmakers on Monday that he has asked the central bank's watchdog to scrutinize renovations of the Fed's headquarters, in response to growing criticism from the Trump administration of the plan. Powell called on the Fed's inspector-general, Michael Horowitz, to examine the project's cost, which has ballooned to $2.5 billion, as well as any other aspect he deems appropriate, according to a person familiar with the request. The request was referenced in a letter, first reported by POLITICO, that Powell sent to Senate Banking Chair Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), the top Democrat on the committee. Speculation has mounted that President Donald Trump, who has clashed with Powell for refusing to cut interest rates, might try to use the renovations to remove the Fed chief 'for cause,' as allowed by statute. Still, it is unclear what type of behavior would fall under that standard. It has generally been interpreted to mean that the president cannot fire Fed board members over policy disagreements, and the Supreme Court signaled in a recent order that it might block a move to remove the Fed chair without cause. Horowitz, who was appointed by Powell last month, was previously the inspector general for the Justice Department, where he won praise from Trump and his supporters for uncovering problems in the FBI's handling of the investigation into potential collusion between Trump's 2016 campaign and Russia. Powell wrote in the letter that the IG has had 'full access to project information on costs, contracts, schedules, and expenditures and receives monthly reports on the construction program.' 'The Board's IG conducted an audit in 2021 to assess the Board's process for planning and managing multiple renovation projects as well as procuring services under various renovation-related contracts,' he added. 'I have asked the Board's IG to take a fresh look at the project.' A spokesperson for Scott said the Banking chair looks forward to receiving more information about 'the costly renovations at the Fed's headquarters.' 'Chairman Scott has continued to call for increased transparency and accountability at the Federal Reserve, and this letter is consistent with improving the communication and transparency he is seeking,' a spokesperson for the senator said in a statement to POLITICO. Axios earlier reported news of Powell's request to the IG. The headquarters renovation, which has been underway for multiple years, is a new front in the administration's criticism of the Fed. Powell was asked at a hearing last month by Scott about the project after a New York Post article characterized it as akin to the 'Palace of Versailles,' a characterization the Fed chief disputed. White House Budget Director Russ Vought — along with the National Capital Planning Commission — is investigating Powell over both the testimony he provided to Congress and questions about whether the construction project adhered to the National Capital Planning Act. Powell wrote in his letter that the Fed chose to consult with NCPC but is not subject to its jurisdiction. He also said the project has changed from its original proposal. 'As is to be expected in the major renovation of nearly 100-year-old historic buildings, the Board's designs have continued to evolve over the course of the project, and some features of the buildings, including rooftop spaces and new water features on the building grounds, were scaled back or eliminated as the project moved forward,' Powell said in the letter. 'These changes simplified the project and reduced the likelihood of further delays and cost overruns. None of them added cost to the project. We do not consider these changes to be substantial.' National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said on ABC News on Sunday that the question of whether Trump can fire the Fed chair is 'a thing that's being looked into.' Hassett is one of four candidates to replace Powell when his term ends next year, according to people familiar with the administration's deliberations.
Yahoo
17 minutes ago
- Yahoo
5 charged in assault that left a transgender girl with a broken jaw in D.C. juvenile detention center
A transgender girl housed in a male unit at Washington, D.C.'s Youth Services Center was hospitalized with a broken jaw after a fight last week that also injured another teen, D.C.'s NBC affiliate WRC reports. Keep up with the latest in + news and politics. The two separate fights broke out on July 7 at the Northeast D.C. juvenile detention facility, which was overcapacity by 17 people that day and remains so as of Monday, according to government data. Five teens have been charged in connection with the assault involving the transgender girl, the station reports. Related: Trump will ban trans women from women's prisons by removing trans inmates from rape protections The Youth Services Center is the District's secure detention facility for male and female youth held by court order from the D.C. Superior Court's Family Court Division. The 88-bed facility provides 24-hour care, custody, and supervision, housing youth awaiting court proceedings, those adjudicated, and those pending further court action, as well as youth charged as adults, according to the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services. It remains unclear whether DYRS has a policy for housing transgender youth in juvenile detention. The Advocate has contacted DYRS, the office of D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, and the office of Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Lindsey Appiah for comment. This story is developing. This article originally appeared on Advocate: 5 charged in assault that left a transgender girl with a broken jaw in D.C. juvenile detention center Trump will ban trans women from women's prisons by removing trans inmates from rape protections
CNBC
25 minutes ago
- CNBC
CNBC Daily Open: Trump brandishes tariffs for peace, not a trade war
Here's a tariff we can get behind. At a White House meeting on Monday with NATO's secretary general, Mark Rutte, U.S. President Donald Trump said he would introduce "tariffs at about 100%" on Russia's trade partners if the Kremlin doesn't reach a deal to end its invasion of Ukraine in 50 days. Notably, the punitive measures will be implemented as "secondary tariffs," Trump said. Unlike Trump's normal tariffs, under which a specific country is slapped with a levy, secondary tariffs impose the duty on countries and entities that buy Russia's exports. While those moves were meant to weaken Russia's economy, they do run the risk of drawing other countries' ire. According to data from the International Trade Centre, in 2024, Russia's biggest export was oil, and its biggest buyers were China, India and Turkey, in that order. That means those nations, among others, would effectively face a tariff of 100% from the U.S. — the highest of all updated numbers announced so far — if they don't shift their buying patterns. That said, it's refreshing to think of tariffs not as a weapon in a trade war (even if there might be collateral damage), but being used for peace. Trump threatens 100% tariffs on Russian export buyers. The U.S. president said he will impose "secondary tariffs" on Moscow if the country doesn't end its war on Ukraine in 50 days. U.S. stocks tick up even after renewed tariff threats. All major U.S. indexes posted mild gains Monday stateside. The Stoxx Europe 600 inched down 0.06%, but London's FTSE 100 closed 0.64% higher to hit a record high. 'Patriotism' buying is suppressing inflation. Kevin Hassett, director of the U.S. National Economic Council, theorized that tariffs aren't causing prices to rise because Americans are buying domestic products. Elon Musk doesn't support Tesla-xAI merger. The tech billionaire replied in the negative to a question regarding a potential deal. Musk, however, said he backs Tesla investing in xAI, and will hold a shareholder vote on it. [PRO] Tesla's supplier has potential beyond batteries. Contemporary Amperex Technology, also known as CATL, supplies battery packs to major electric companies. Analysts think the company can also be a "software ecosystem provider." Inflation report Tuesday should provide clues on the impact tariffs are having on prices June's inflation report will be examined not so much for what the headline numbers show than what's in the underlying data, especially whether tariffs are starting to have an impact. "I'm looking at autos and I'm looking at apparel, and last month's reading was very low for both of them, which is very counterintuitive to what you would have" expected, said Chris Hodge, head U.S. economist at Natixis CIB Americas. "These are two sectors that are very sensitive to increased tariffs."
