Few weeks ago, Rocker Neil Young wrote the following open letter to President Trump saying that he would not sue him.
Now it appears, Young may change his mind.
This was the letter Young had posted on his website.
Dear Mr. President:
Although I have repeatedly asked you to please not use my music because it indicates that I support your agenda, you have always played my songs anyway at your gatherings, with no regards for my rights, even calling me names on twitter.
I did notice you played my music at your latest rally despite my previous request.
…Because you are in charge of the Covid 19 response here in the USA, I will not sue you, (as certainly is my right) potentially distracting from your important work at hand protecting and saving American lives,” the former CSNY member stated while sending his well-wishes for the nation’s leader for protecting and unifying Americans during the pandemic.
I suggest you listen to my song ‘Lookin’ For A Leader 2020,’ available on my website, neilyoungarchives.com as part of a work I recently completed with my wife- “The Porch Episode,” as I believe it would be an interesting addition to your next rally.
With respect for your office,
Neil Young
USA Today reported that Neil Young says he’s considering legal action against President Donald Trump for playing his music at events.
Young has been outspoken before about his disapproval of Trump’s use of his songs, but he’s previously written that he has no legal recourse to stop him. Now, the musician says he’s “reconsidering.”
“I am changing my mind about suing Donald Trump,” Young wrote online Monday. “I am looking at it again. There is a long history to consider and I originally considered it, deciding not to pursue.”
Young suggested his change of heart was inspired by Trump’s deployment of federal agents to curb civil unrest following the death of George Floyd.
In his post, Young said Trump “ordered thugs in uniform onto our streets” and shared a video of federal agents using force against a man in Portland, Ore. In an interview, the man says he is a military veteran.
“Trump has no respect for our military,” Young wrote. “They are not to be used on the streets of America against law abiding citizens for a Political charade orchestrated by a challenged President.”
He continued by describing the officers as “thugs with no IDs shooting Americans on the streets.”
“They are not our police,” he wrote. “Our police should arrest these untrained thugs for breaking our laws. They have zero de-escalation training, a must have for the job they are mishandling, so they’re totally unqualified to be there.”
Neil Young is ‘not ok’ with Trump using his music at Mount Rushmore event.
Young also criticized Trump’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.
“When the states asked for help with Covid 19, the president did not give it,” he wrote. “He said he’s not responsible. When they said don’t bring military to our streets — we don’t need that, he did it anyway for his own political reasons — not for America. This rogue president is creating a much worse problem with his street thug army of uniformed hatred.”
As a result of these actions, Young says he might sue the president.
“Imagine what it feels like to hear ‘Rockin’ in the Free World’ after this president speaks, like it is his theme song,” he wrote. “I did not write it for that.”
