Singer-songwriter Kenny Loggins, speaking at the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) convention in Anaheim, California, June 2022.
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Jerod Harris/Getty Images North America
Singer-songwriter Kenny Loggins calls on President Trump to remove audio from one of his performances from controversial AI-generated video and that Trump job on his Truth Social account Saturday evening.
In the fake video, a crown-wearing Trump is in a fighter jet emblazoned with the “KING TRUMP” logo. Accompanied by Loggins singing “Danger Zone” – a hit single from the 1986 film Top Gun – the plane dumps muddy brown material onto crowds of protesters carrying American flags and signs in what appears to be Times Square in New York.
The video was released as an apparent response to widespread opinion “No Kings” protests which took place across the country on Saturday. (On Saturday evening, the official White House account posted a fake image on Twitter of Trump and Vice President JD Vance wearing wreaths.)
In a statement sent to NPR Monday morning, Loggins wrote: “This is an unauthorized use of my performance of ‘Danger Zone.’ No one asked for my permission, which I would have refused, and I request that my recording of this video be immediately deleted.” (“Danger Zone” was written by Top Gun(the composer of the music by Giorgio Moroder and the songwriter Tom Whitlock, with Loggins as performer.)
Loggins continued: “I can’t imagine why anyone would want their music used or associated with something created for the sole purpose of dividing us. Too many people are trying to divide us and we need to find new ways to come together. We are all Americans and we are all patriotic. There is no ‘us and them’ – that’s not who we are, nor what we should be. It’s all of us. We’re in this together and I hope we are. can embrace music as a way to celebrate and unite all of us. »
There is a long history of musicians oppose the current president (among other political leaders) using their work to send political messages. However, such use is generally legalprovided that the beneficiaries are correctly paid; the only use that performers and songwriters can specifically prohibit is the use of songs in campaign advertisements. However, many artists choose to make these objections public so that the general public is aware of their position.
NPR has contacted the White House for a response to Loggins’ specific objections and request to remove his performance.
In response, White House spokesman Davis R. Ingle did not respond to NPR’s questions but sent NPR a still from the film. Top Gun stars Tom Cruise and the late Val Kilmer, captioned: “I FEEL THE NEED FOR SPEED.”
Various musicians and their representatives, including the White Stripes and the estate of Isaac Hayes, have filed civil lawsuits against Trump, alleging copyright infringement. White stripes abandoned his costume in November 2024. The Hayes lawsuit, which was filed against the president, his re-election campaign and the activist group Turning Point Action, continues to make its way through federal court in Atlanta.
