Overview

• President Trump posted an AI-generated parody of “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” on Oct. 2 on Truth Social featuring an animated Trump in a dark cloak striking a cowbell.
• The video portrays OMB Director Russ Vought as a Grim Reaper pursuing federal-worker layoffs, with vice president J. D. Vance shown on drums.
• In a weekend statement, Blue Öyster Cult said it received no advance notice and emphasized that Sony Music owns 100% of the song’s copyright and controls licensing.
• Pressed about the clip, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president “likes to have a little fun” when asked whether the message pointed to more layoffs.
• The incident extends years of artists objecting to Trump’s use of their music without permission and reflects his growing reliance on AI-generated posts in his social media strategy.