Kenny Loggins is taking issue with his songs being featured in a social media clip that displays an AI-created video of President Donald Trump dropping waste from a military aircraft onto last Saturday's “No Kings” protests.
TL;DR
- Kenny Loggins requested removal of his song "Danger Zone" from an AI video of President Trump.
- The video, posted on Truth Social, showed waste dropped on "No Kings" protests.
- Loggins stated he did not grant permission and wants unity, not division.
- The White House responded with a "Top Gun" still and the quote "I FEEL THE NEED FOR SPEED."
On Saturday night, a video was shared on the Republican president's Truth Social account, featuring Loggins' song “Danger Zone,”. This track is part of the soundtrack for the highly successful 1986 Tom Cruise fighter pilot film “Top Gun.”. Loggins issued a statement on his website on Monday, asserting that he had not granted permission and requested the video's removal.
“I can’t imagine why anybody would want their music used or associated with something created with the sole purpose of dividing us,” Loggins wrote. “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.”
As of Tuesday morning, the video remained on Truth Social. Numerous musicians, including Adele and Bruce Springsteen, have objected over the past decade to Trump’s use of their material at campaign rallies and elsewhere.
Loggins' representatives sent The Associated Press a statement Tuesday that was the same as the one issued the previous day. The White House, when asked for comment, provided a still from “Top Gun” along with the caption “I FEEL THE NEED FOR SPEED,”, which echoed a well-known line from the movie.
On prior occasions, Trump has incorporated music into AI videos, such as employing Blue Oyster Cult's "Don't Fear the Reaper" in an early October post concerning Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought.
Saturday saw substantial gatherings nationwide for the most recent series of “No Kings” demonstrations, where attendees voiced their opposition to what they perceive as the president's authoritarian governance. President Trump on Sunday characterized these rallies as a “joke” and stated to the press, “I’m no king.”