Kenny Loggins blasts Trump for using "Danger Zone" in AI video mocking No Kings
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Kenny Loggins performs in Carpinteria, Calif., on Sept. 20, 2024. Photo: Scott Dudelson/Getty Images
Musician Kenny Loggins demanded that President Trump remove his song from an AI-generated video of the president dumping feces from a fighter jet on protesters at No Kings events.
Why it matters: The Trump administration's "ask for forgiveness, not permission" approach to using creators' copyrighted work has repeatedly drawn pushback as the administration leans heavily into a social media campaign filled with AI imagery.
What they're saying: "This is an unauthorized use of my performance of 'Danger Zone.'" Loggins wrote in an Instagram post on Monday.
- "Nobody asked me for my permission, which I would have denied, and I request that my recording on this video is removed immediately."
- "I 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," he wrote.
- "We're in this together, and it is my hope that we can embrace music as a way of celebrating and uniting each and every one of us."
The other side: When reached for comment, the White House responded with a meme from Top Gun.
- "I FEEL THE NEED FOR SPEED," the caption says, showing a screenshot of Tom Cruise and Anthony Edwards walking away from fighter jets in the 1986 film, which originally used Loggins' song.
Driving the news: Trump posted the video on Truth Social on Saturday, the same day that nearly 7 million protesters gathered at No Kings protests across the country to express their concerns with the president's agenda.
- Top Republicans repeatedly called the events a "hate America" rally, run by radical leftists, a characterization organizers dispute.
Zoom out: Loggins joins a growing list of creators who've demanded the White House remove their intellectual property from his administration's social media.
- The White Stripes, Celine Dion and ABBA all asked the Trump campaign to stop using their music in 2024.
- Right-ring influencer Theo Von and the creators of Pokémon both said they were unaware that Homeland Security was going to use their property prior to the department posting videos with their content.
Go deeper: Trump's AI video shows Russ Vought as government shutdown grim reaper
