Kenny Loggins has joined a long list of musicians who have objected to Donald Trump’s unauthorized use of their music.
On Monday, the 1980s hitmaker responded to the president’s weekend post of an AI-generated video that was accompanied by his recording of “Danger Zone” from the 1986 movie Top Gun.
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“This is an unauthorized use of my performance of ‘Danger Zone.’ Nobody asked me for my permission, which I would have denied, and I request that my recording on this video is removed immediately,” Loggins said in a statement on Monday obtained by The Hollywood Reporter.
The offending video portrayed Trump dumping brown sludge on a crowd of protesters while wearing a crown and flying overhead in a jet labeled “King Trump.” The clip appears to be in response to the massive “No Kings” protests across the U.S. on Saturday. Spike Lee, Mark Ruffalo, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ben Stiller and more were among the Hollywood stars who participated in the “No Kings” marches and other events. The “No Kings” website reports that more than 7 million people participated in the demonstrations across 2,700 events.
Loggins in his statement added: “I can’t imagine why anybody would want their music used or associated with something created with the sole purpose of dividing us. Too many people are trying to tear us apart, and we need to find new ways to come together. We’re all Americans, and we’re all patriotic. There is no ‘us and them’ — that’s not who we are, nor is it what we should be. It’s all of us. We’re in this together, and it is my hope that we can embrace music as a way of celebrating and uniting each and every one of us.”
Trump and his staffers have been criticized in the past by top recording artists for using popular songs without permission to propel his presidential runs and political messaging. That list of artists includes Neil Young, Jack White, Sinéad O’Connor, Celine Dion, Foo Fighters, Rufus Wainwright and Beyoncé with her “Freedom” song that was used for Kamala Harris’ 2024 presidential run.
Loggins’ “Danger Zone” song was also used in the 2022 sequel Top Gun: Maverick.
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