Kenny Loggins said President Donald Trump’s use of his song “Danger Zone” in a recent social media video was unauthorized and divisive.
The AI-generated video shows Mr. Trump as a pilot flying a fighter jet labeled “King Trump” and dumping waste on people at the nationwide “No Kings” protests.
The president shared it on his Truth Social platform Saturday.
“Nobody asked me for my permission, which I would have denied, and I request that my recording on this video is removed immediately,” Mr. Loggins told Variety.
“Danger Zone,” featured in the movie “Top Gun,” is the backing track for the short clip.
Mr. Loggins told Variety that he “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.”
When asked for a response to the singer’s comments, a White House spokesperson sent Entertainment Weekly a “Top Gun” meme, showing Tom Cruise’s character Maverick and Anthony Edwards’ character Goose walking and talking, with Maverick’s quote “I feel the need for speed” superimposed.
Other performers who have expressed disapproval of Mr. Trump’s use of their music on social media or at rallies, according to Billboard, include: Adele, Aerosmith, Beyonce, Blue Oyster Cult, Celine Dion, Foo Fighters, Guns N’ Roses, Neil Young, Ozzy Osbourne, the Rolling Stones, Pharrell, Rihanna, Panic! at the Disco, and the estates and families of George Harrison, Laura Branigan, Sinead O’Connor and Tom Petty.
The “No Kings” protests Saturday agitated against what organizers called Mr. Trump’s “authoritarian power grabs.”
“No Kings” organizers said over 7 million people showed up to protest at more than 2,700 events across the U.S. and the world, crowds that they said were “14 times larger than both of Trump’s inaugurations combined.”
The first iteration of the “No Kings” protests in June coincided with the Army’s 250th anniversary parade, which in turn coincided with the president’s 79th birthday.
