BREAKING NEWS: Kenny Loggins Condemns Donald Trump Over Unauthorized Use of “Danger Zone” in AI Meme
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA — Legendary singer-songwriter Kenny Loggins has spoken out after discovering that his 1986 hit “Danger Zone” — immortalized by the blockbuster film Top Gun — was used without permission in an AI-generated meme allegedly shared by supporters of former U.S. President Donald Trump.
The viral post, which reportedly combined AI-altered footage and snippets of Loggins’s classic song to portray political protests, quickly spread across social platforms before being removed from several accounts. Within hours, Loggins’s management confirmed that neither the artist nor his label had licensed or approved the song’s use in any political context.
Calling the incident “misleading and disrespectful,” Loggins emphasized that the creative work of musicians should never be co-opted to advance partisan messages. “Music carries emotion and meaning,” he said in a statement. “When it’s taken out of context — especially by artificial intelligence — it becomes manipulation, not expression.”
The controversy underscores a growing concern among artists as AI technology accelerates the production of synthetic media. From cloned vocals to deep-fake videos, musicians are increasingly finding their work repurposed in ways they neither control nor condone. Loggins, whose career has spanned more than five decades and produced timeless hits such as “Footloose,” “This Is It,” and “I’m Alright,” joins a growing list of artists calling for stronger safeguards against the misuse of creative property in the digital age.
Industry experts note that under current U.S. copyright law, the use of a song in any audiovisual production — including memes or political ads — generally requires permission from both the publisher and the recording owner. Unauthorized use can constitute infringement, regardless of whether AI tools were employed in editing or remixing the content. However, enforcement remains complex when such materials circulate rapidly online, often originating from anonymous creators.
Loggins’s representatives are reportedly reviewing potential legal options, though no formal lawsuit has been filed. Meanwhile, the Trump campaign has not publicly commented on the matter.
Beyond the legal debate lies a deeper cultural question: who controls creativity in the age of algorithms? Musicians like Loggins argue that art is built on human intention — on the emotions, choices, and craftsmanship of its creator. When AI reshapes that work without consent, it erases the very soul that gives it meaning.
“‘Danger Zone’ was written to capture adrenaline and freedom — not politics or propaganda,” Loggins added. “If we allow technology to rewrite art for its own agenda, we lose the truth that music was meant to tell.”
For fans, the incident serves as a reminder of how fragile authenticity has become in the digital era — when a beloved song can be stripped of context and re-cast as something it was never meant to be. As lawmakers and platforms struggle to define boundaries for AI-generated media, voices like Kenny Loggins’s are urging accountability before the creative world truly enters its own danger zone.