Top

Donald Trump asked to stop using 'Air Force One' music for campaign

Katz told 'The Hollywood Reporter' that Trump never asked the filmmakers for permission to use the score.

Los Angles: Donald Trump has been accused of "hijacking" the popular score from 'Air Force One' by its producer who has asked the Republican presidential nominee to stop using the movie's theme song during his high-profile campaign events.

Gail Katz, the producer of the 1997 Harrison Ford thriller says the Republican presidential nominee is using deceased legendary composer Jerry Goldsmith's music without permission and wants him to stop.

Katz told 'The Hollywood Reporter' that Trump never asked the filmmakers for permission to use the score.

She has written a letter to the Trump campaign requesting that it stop playing the score at future events. Trump, 70, has been broadcasting the Air Force One theme for months at campaign rallies around the country. The most recent, and high profile, use of the score occurred on July 20 when it accompanied Trump's dramatic arrival via helicopter at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland.

"The music for Air Force One was composed and conducted by the legendary Oscar-winning film composer Jerry Goldsmith," writes Katz in the letter.

"Jerry's music was hijacked in a misguided attempt to associate Trump with the film and the President in that film." Before his death at age 75, Goldsmith was one of the most admired and prolific composers in the film music world, with over five decades of film and TV work to his credit.

Veteran film music agent Richard Kraft, who represented Goldsmith for 15 years prior to his death in 2004, says the composer would not be pleased with his music being appropriated by Trump.

"From everything I know about Jerry Goldsmith's political views, he would have been extremely unhappy with Trump co-opting his art to sell his image," Kraft said.

"Goldsmith composed music to underscore a make-believe, heroic president in [Air Force One], not to help create a phony soundtrack for Trump. He would have been appalled to have his music selling a product he would greatly dislike."

This is not the first time Trump's choice of music has come under fire. Multiple songwriters and recording artists have asked the Trump campaign to stop playing their music, including The Rolling Stones, Neil Young, Adele, Aerosmith and R.E.M., the report said.

Says Katz, "The main point is that, similar to the plane in Air Force One, the music has been hijacked and we want it back."

The Trump campaign did not immediate reply to a request for comment, The Hollywood Reporter said.

( Source : PTI )
Next Story