Singer-songwriter Kenny Loggins is asking President Trump to remove the audio of one of his performances from a contentious AI-generated video that Trump posted on his Truth Social account on Saturday evening.
In the fake video, a crown-wearing Trump is in a fighter jet emblazoned “KING TRUMP.”
In a statement sent to NPR on Monday morning, Loggins wrote: “This is an unauthorized use of my performance of ‘Danger Zone.’
(“Danger Zone” was written by Top Gun’s score composer, Giorgio Moroder, and songwriter Tom Whitlock, with Loggins as the performer.)
NPR reached out to the White House for a response to Loggins’ specific objections and his request that his performance be removed.
On Saturday night, singer-songwriter Kenny Loggins posted a controversial AI-generated video on his Truth Social account, and he is requesting that President Trump take out the audio of one of his performances.
The phony video shows a crown-wearing Trump in a fighter jet with the words “KING TRUMP” across it. When the plane drops sultry brown material over crowds of protesters holding American flags and signs in what looks to be Times sq\. in New York City, Loggins’ hit song “Danger Zone” from the 1986 film Top Gun plays in the background.
The video was released seemingly in response to the massive No Kings demonstrations that occurred all over the United States. A. this Saturday. (On X on Saturday night, the official White House account shared a phony photo of Trump and Vice President Vance wearing crowns, next to a phony photo of Rep. Jeffries, Hakeem, D-N. Yep. as well as Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N. Yep. sombreros. ).
“This is an unauthorized use of my performance of ‘Danger Zone,'” Loggins wrote in a statement that was sent to NPR on Monday morning. I would have refused to give permission if no one had asked, and I ask that my recording on this video be taken down right away. Loggins performed in “Danger Zone,” which was written by songwriter Tom Whitlock and Giorgio Moroder, who composed the score for Top Gun. ).
“It’s inconceivable to me why anyone would want their music to be used or connected to something that was made just to divide us,” Loggins went on. There are too many people attempting to split us up, so we must find new ways to unite. All of us are patriotic and Americans. We are not ‘us and them’; that is neither who we are nor how we ought to be. We are all involved. I sincerely hope that we can all embrace music as a means of celebrating and being united because we are all in this together. “..”.
Musicians have long protested the use of their art to promote political causes by the current president and other political figures. But as long as the rights holders are properly compensated, such use is usually acceptable; the only use that songwriters and performers can expressly forbid is the use of their songs in political advertisements. To make their position known to a wider audience, many artists nevertheless decide to publicly express their objections.
NPR requested a response from the White House regarding Loggins’ specific concerns and his request to have his performance taken down.
White House spokesperson Davis R. Ingle sent NPR an image from the movie Top Gun, which featured Tom Cruise and the late Val Kilmer, with the caption, “I FEEL THE NEED FOR SPEED,” but he did not answer any of NPR’s questions. “,”.
