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And Finally Artist News
Justin Timberlake soundtracks Joe Biden’s new Trump attack video
By Andy Malt | Published on Wednesday 6 May 2020
Despite everything that’s going on right now, there’s still a US presidential election planned for this year. Though with everyone involved being too old to get out and campaign, we haven’t been subjected to the usual soul-sucking electioneering as yet. Except, of course, for the current President using his bizarre public health press conferences as de facto rallies.
After a period of relative silence, his Democrat rival Joe Biden is now coming back out fighting, posting a new video slating Donald Trump’s response to the COVID-19 crisis. And he’s doing so with the apparent backing of Justin Timberlake.
A post across Biden’s social media accounts accompanying the new video reads: “Over one million cases of COVID-19. Almost 70,000 dead. What is upsetting President Trump? Tough questions from the press. Cry me a river, Mr President”.
The video then cuts up quotes from Trump moaning on about his treatment by the press over a soundtrack of Timberlake’s ‘Cry Me A River’.
Politicians using music in their campaigns without permission is a long-running bugbear of artists, of course. Although that’s generally at rallies, where such use can be covered by a venue’s blanket licenses. In a video such as this, direct approval would be required.
That said, not every politician is aware of this. Donald Trump, for example, has had videos taken down from social media at least twice due to unauthorised use of music. Once when he tried to compare himself to Batman, another when he invoked Nickelback.
While Timberlake hasn’t passed comment on Biden’s video, it remains online, which suggests it’s legit. Timberlake is also known to be a keen Democrat voter. So much so, back in 2016 he risked jail by posting a selfie in a voting booth.
