Lara Trump Draws Criticism For Tom Petty Cover After Estate Sends Cease And Desist
Lara Trump, the daughter-in-law of former President Donald Trump, has stirred controversy with her country music cover of Tom Petty's "I Won't Back Down". Despite a cease and desist letter sent to Donald Trump during his 2020 re-election campaign by Petty's estate, Lara Trump released her own version of the song. The cover, which was teased on Instagram and released on September 29, has been met with criticism.
Eric Trump, Lara's husband, alleges that Apple is "shadow banning" the song. He claims that despite being 31st on the iTunes charts upon release, the song is unsearchable. This raises questions about the fairness of Apple's practices.
The song was released through Mailman Media’s country music sub-label First Class Records. Pre-sales of the song were available before its release. Despite the backlash, many supporters have rallied behind Lara Trump's musical endeavor.
The Trump family continues to face opposition from Tom Petty’s family. The 2020 letter stated that both the late Tom Petty and his family firmly stand against racism and discrimination of any kind. They added that Tom Petty would never want a song of his used for a campaign of hate.
According to US Copyright rules, Lara Trump is indeed allowed to cover the song, as long as she changes it in some fashion. In this case, she has released it as a “country version”. So, while her decision to cover the song has sparked controversy and criticism, it does not appear to be breaking any laws.