That’s like Reagan using Born in the USA, a song critical of America, as a campaign theme.
First, Reagan only referred to Springsteen as a hopeful songwriter in a speech on the campaign trail, and that was about it, since Springsteen didn't authorize use of the song on the trail. It should also be noted that the incident came in the context of a presidential campaign ('84) in which Reagan likely would've gotten reelected doing anything short of using the Soviet national anthem in his ads. Second, "Born in the USA" wasn't critical of Reagan (or Reagan-like figures) specifically.
Meanwhile, Trump used the song without asking (of course) and received a cease-and-desist, in the context of a very close election campaign, and as a "Fortunate Son" that dodged the draft for the exact war the song was written about.
Was he a "Fortunate Son" during the 2016 election, with all of the establishment Republican party, 90% of the media, big tech etc against him? It's arguable that he was not.
You’re buying into an underdog narrative that doesn't match with the facts. Also the media may have been “against” him but they gave him thousands of hours of free coverage. “Big tech” may have been against him, but they handed him his platform in the first place.
Agreed, but it's all relative :-) Would have been more or less favoured than Jeb Bush, for instance?
>> "Big tech” may have been against him, but they handed him his platform in the first place.
They definitely ripped that back off him.