A federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction preventing former President Donald Trump and his campaign from using the iconic R&B song “Hold On, I’m Coming” at campaign events.
The ruling comes after the estate of Isaac Hayes, the song’s co-writer, sought an emergency injunction, alleging the Trump campaign failed to obtain the necessary public performance license for the song.
The ruling was delivered by U.S. District Judge Thomas Thrash Jr. in an Atlanta courtroom.
“I do order Trump and his campaign to not use the song without proper license,” said Judge Thrash.
However, the judge denied a motion to force the Trump campaign to remove any previously recorded uses of the song.
Ronald Coleman, legal counsel for Trump, expressed contentment that the judge did not mandate the removal of past uses of the song, stating:
“The campaign has no interest in annoying or hurting anyone. If the Hayes family feels it hurts or annoys them, that’s fine, we’re not going to force the issue.”
The legal dispute centers around the unauthorized use of the 1966 hit, which was co-written by Isaac Hayes and David Porter and performed by Sam & Dave. Isaac Hayes III, the son of the late artist, celebrated the court’s decision and encouraged other artists to take action if they oppose their music being used for political purposes.
The Hayes estate argues that the Trump campaign began using “Hold On, I’m Coming” at rallies as early as 2020 and continued into 2024, without securing a valid performance license. The estate is also seeking compensatory damages for the alleged unauthorized use of the song.
This case is the latest in a string of high-profile disputes involving political campaigns and musicians. Several prominent artists, including Beyoncé, Bruce Springsteen, and Celine Dion, have previously objected to the use of their music by the Trump campaign.
