Heart singer Nancy Wilson took to Instagram to criticize President Donald Trump for using the band's song "Barracuda" without explicit permission, remarking that the song is a "powerful piece of music that was never intended for political use."
During the event, instrumental segments of the song—which the band has characterized as a rebuke of predatory men—were played alongside other rock and metal staples.
An image Wilson shared with her post shows her wearing a hat emblazoned with the phrase “No Kings But Us,” a likely nod of support to the weekend’s “No Kings” protests, which were staged to counter the Trump administration's immigration policies.
She wrote, part:
"As daughters of a U.S. Marine Corps major, we hold a deep and abiding respect for the men and women who serve in our Armed Forces."
"On a day meant to honor that service, it’s important that music used in such settings reflects not only the tone of the event but also the wishes of the artists who created it."
You can see her post below.
Many praised Wilson for speaking out and echoed her criticisms.
Multiple musicians have spoken out against Trump for his unauthorized use of their songs.
Last year, singer Celine Dion called out Trump's campaign for their unauthorized use of "My Heart Will Go On" from the Academy Award-winning blockbuster Titanic at a rally in Montana. Dion's management team also jabbed Trump for using a song associated with a movie about a sinking ship.
Similarly, the estate of the late Sinéad O'Connor, along with her label Chrysalis Records, issued a statement condemning Trump's use of the late singer's iconic rendition of "Nothing Compares 2 U" during campaign rallies in Maryland and North Carolina.
Both entities expressed "outrage" at the unauthorized use of her song by Trump, whom O'Connor had referred to as a "biblical devil" and a "Satanist" in a 2020 interview with Hot Press. O'Connor's estate said it is "no exaggeration to say that Sinéad would have been disgusted, hurt, and insulted to have her work misrepresented in this way."
