According to new reports, members of the rock band The White Stripes have formally withdrawn their lawsuit against Donald Trump.
Back in September, Meg White and Jack White opted to sue Trump, as well as his campaign. The suit involved the unauthorized use of the song “Seven Nation Army”. The song was used as the soundtrack for a social media clip that promoted Trump’s presidential campaign.
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The band called the unauthorized use of the song “flagrant misappropriation”. They accused the president-elect and his campaign team of six different counts of copyright infringement. The White Stripes originally sought damages as well as injunctive relief.
The famous rock duo got back together for the first time in years to launch the suit against Trump. For reference, The White Stripes broke up in 2011. Jack White has moved on to other projects, namely via production efforts. Meg White has more or less retreated from the public eye.
“Seven Nation Army” is the band’s biggest hit, which reached no. 1 on the US Billboard Alternative Airplay chart back in 2003. The song is also hailed as one of a few hits from that era that successfully launched the garage rock revival movement of the early 2000s.
However, as of November 10, it looks like The White Straps have asked for the lawsuit to be dismissed, specifically without prejudice. To withdraw a suit without prejudice means that the band will be able to refile their case in the future if they wish.
Jack White Has Historically Not Been a Fan of Donald Trump
The White Stripes lawsuit wasn’t the only gripe the band members had with the president-elect. After the 2024 election, Jack White described Trump as a “fascist” and “wannabe dictator.”
“The American people with the popular vote showed that the citizens placed him in power and now deserve whatever evils he’s going to enact,” said White.
Politics aside, Trump’s use of unauthorized music has become a problem throughout several of his campaigns. As of today, he is still facing another copyright lawsuit. That suit involves musician Isaac Hayes (or rather, his estate) for the repeated unauthorized use of the song “Hold On, I’m Coming”. Hayes won an injunction against the Trump campaign back in September. That injunction would prevent the president-elect from playing the song until a trial is scheduled in 2025.
Photo by Ernesto Ruscio/FilmMagic
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