--- title: Rihanna Sends Trump Cease-And-Desist Letter Over Rally Music description: Rihanna has reportedly sent Trump a cease-and-desist letter after learning that her music was being used at his political rallies. canonical: https://time.com/5446094/rihanna-trump-cease-and-desist/ author: Megan McCluskey article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-11-06T17:05:20.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-13T08:05:19.681Z og:title: Rihanna Sends Trump Cease-And-Desist Letter Over Rally Music og:description: "Ms. Fenty has not provided her consent to Mr. Trump to use her music" og:url: https://time.com/5446094/rihanna-trump-cease-and-desist/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb2626f7445b796ca/69893e5efb4eac0a9d89821a/rihanna-cease-and-desist.jpg?branch=production&width=594&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 594 og:image:height: 334 og:image:alt: Rihanna-Trump-Cease-and-Desist og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Rihanna Sends Trump Cease-And-Desist Letter Over Rally Music twitter:description: "Ms. Fenty has not provided her consent to Mr. Trump to use her music" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb2626f7445b796ca/69893e5efb4eac0a9d89821a/rihanna-cease-and-desist.jpg?branch=production&width=594&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Rihanna Sends Trump Cease-And-Desist Letter Over Rally Music > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=512a92f8-95f4-40c0-89e9-21dcccb66fc6&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: President Donald Trump Holds MAGA Rally in Chattanooga [Watch (HLS stream): President Donald Trump Holds MAGA Rally in Chattanooga](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/XrigDntt.m3u8) (0:34)  _Published 2018-11-05. President Donald Trump Holds MAGA Rally in Chattanooga_  by [Megan McCluskey](https://time.com/author/megan-mccluskey/)  ## Megan McCluskey Staff Writer Nov 6, 2018 5:05 PM UTC President Donald Trump Holds MAGA Rally in Chattanooga  by [Megan McCluskey](https://time.com/author/megan-mccluskey/)  ## Megan McCluskey Staff Writer Nov 6, 2018 5:05 PM UTC Rihanna has reportedly sent President Donald Trump a [cease-and-desist letter](http://time.com/5444926/rihanna-trump-legal/) after learning that her music was being used to hype up the crowd at his [political rallies](http://time.com/5444498/trump-rally-rihanna/). According to [_Rolling Stone_](https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/rihanna-sends-cease-and-desist-after-songs-played-at-trump-rally-752314/), Rih’s legal team issued the order on Monday following reports that her song “Don’t Stop the Music” was played at a Sunday campaign rally for [Republican Senate candidate](http://time.com/5444194/tennessee-senate-bredesen-blackburn/) Marsha Blackburn that Trump attended in Chattanooga, Tenn. “It has come to our attention that President Trump has utilized \[Rihanna’s\] musical compositions and master recordings, including her hit track ‘Don’t Stop the Music,’ in connection with a number of political events held across the United States,” Rihanna’s legal team wrote in the letter to Trump’s White House counsel. “As you are or should be aware, Ms. Fenty has not provided her consent to Mr. Trump to use her music. Such use is therefore improper.” Prior to taking legal action, Rihanna protested Trump’s use of her music on Twitter after _Washington Post_ reporter Philip Rucker tipped her off about the song choice. “It’s been said a million times, but here’s a million and one — Trump’s rallies are unlike anything else in politics,” Rucker tweeted. “Currently, Rihanna’s ‘Don’t Stop the Music’ is blaring in Chattanooga as aides toss free Trump T-shirts into the crowd, like a ball game. Everyone’s loving it.” “Not for much longer,” Rih responded on Sunday. “Me nor my people would ever be at or around one of those tragic rallies, so thanks for the heads up philip!” > [](https://twitter.com/rihanna/status/1059240423091245056) ## Transcript God bless president. [ APPLAUSE ] [ APPLAUSE ] U S A! Where do you begin? Where do you begin? 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