Overview

• The Pentagon’s initial social media video paired Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth touting President Trump’s drone dominance executive order with Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” without securing permission.
• After X representatives flagged a copyright issue, the Defense Department deleted the original clip and re-posted it without any soundtrack.
• A Metallica spokesperson confirmed the song’s use was unauthorized, prompting the band’s copyright notice that triggered the takedown.
• The incident underscores evolving content-governance on platforms like X, where copyright enforcement can compel immediate corrective actions by government accounts.
• Metallica has previously defended its music rights through landmark legal moves, including a suit against Napster and pushing back on alleged military use of its songs.