Though six months have passed since the U.S.A Freedom Kids performed at a Donald Trump rally in January, the creator of the act, Jeff Popick, announced plans to sue the campaign.
The song, “Freedom’s Call,” “denounced the other presidential candidates as sworn enemies’ and ‘was mocked on social media,” Mother Jones reported.
Popick, who is also the father of the youngest Freedom Kid, told The Washington Post that the Trump campaign “violated its agreement with the group.”
From Popick’s understanding, after a discussion with several individuals of Trump’s campaign, The Freedom Kids were to make two appearances in Florida.
“The first event didn’t come to fruition, and Popick says he asked for $2,500 in payment for the second performance, in Pensacola,” Philip Bump wrote. “The campaign made a counter-offer: How about a table where the group could presell albums? Popick took the deal.”
Despite the campaign’s efforts to compromise with the group, there was no table in sight once The Freedom Kids arrived at the venue. It was clear that, though a vocal offer was made, absolutely no follow-through occurred.
“The incident was the first of a series of broken promises and unreturned phone calls that went on all the way to the Republican National Convention in Cleveland,” Mother Jones‘ Inae Oh noted. “Trump’s team allegedly offered Popick a consolation prize and promised that the girls could perform because of all the previous disappointments. That performance never materialized either and now he says he’s planning to file suit.”
Popick feels confronting the campaign for its broken promises is a responsibility he holds to The Freedom Kids.
“This is not a billion-dollar lawsuit,” Popick told The Post. “I’m doing this because I think they have to do the right thing. I’m not looking to do battle with the Trump campaign, but I have to show my girls that this is the right thing.”
