DEE SNIDER Says He 'Cannot Legally Or Morally Stop' Far-Right Arizona Gubernatorial Candidate From Using 'We're Not Gonna Take It'

Dee Snider says that he cannot "legally or morally" stop controversial Arizona GOP gubernatorial hopeful and election denier Kari Lake from using TWISTED SISTER's "We're Not Gonna Take It" at her campaign events.

The classic TWISTED SISTER song was played as Lake, a former local TV anchor, walked on stage on July 22 at a "Save America" rally in Prescott Valley, Arizona where she was joined by former U.S. president Donald Trump.

On Wednesday (July 27),one of Snider's Twitter followers shared a video of Lake's entrance to "We're Not Gonna Take It", and he included the following message: "@deesnider i think a cease & desist is in order". A few hours later, Dee responded: "While I abhor what this ignoramus @KariLake stands for and the she deplorables (yup, Hillary Clinton had it right) she represents, I can NOT legally or morally stop her from using or singing my song. I wrote it for everyone...cherry picking who uses it is censorship."

When another person wrote "Please tell me @deesnider is not ok with Kari Lake using his music", Dee replied: "Not at all. I do NOT stand with @KariLake . I'm not with anyone who is with Trump or not Pro-choice. This said, i wrote a song designed for everyone. I can't cherry pick who can & can not sing it... THIS SAID...the 1st line is 'WE'VE GOT THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE'. Glad Kari agrees."

What Snider is apparently referring to is the fact that political campaigns are often able to procure blanket licenses from performing rights organizations such as American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) and Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI) when the rallies are held in major public venues such as convention centers and arenas.

Lake, who once donated to former president Barack Obama's campaign, is now an ardent supporter of Trump's election fraud claims despite the fact that those claims have been roundly rejected by the courts and election officials. She has also doubled down against mask and vaccine mandates, and called for the imprisonment of Democratic Secretary Of State Katie Hobbs, who is also running for governor in the August 2 primary.

Lake worked as an anchor for more than 20 years at KSAZ, the Phoenix Fox affiliate.

In 2019, she was criticized for joining Parler, a social media app favored by the pro-Trump right.

Back in November 2017, Snider, who got to know Trump personally after appearing more than once on NBC's "The Celebrity Apprentice", said that he could no longer be friends with Trump because he did not share the then-president's views on important issues, including the Trump administration's harsh immigration policy.

Snider found himself in the middle of controversy in 2016 when he asked Trump to stop using "We're Not Gonna Take It" in his campaign. The singer said at the time that Trump was very gracious about the request.

Dee was fired by Trump on "The Celebrity Apprentice" in 2013.

Snider is not the only member of TWISTED SISTER who has been critical of Trump. In January 2021, TWISTED SISTER guitarist Jay Jay French called Trump a "white supremacist president" whose tenure at the White House was a "long national nightmare."

Three years ago, TWISTED SISTER slammed Australian mining magnate Clive Palmer for using a re-written version of "We're Not Gonna Take It" in connection with his political party.

"We're Not Gonna Take It" has been used in commercials for hotel chain Extended Stay America, Claritin, Walmart, Stanley Steamer and Yaz birth control. The song was written solely by Snider.

Back in November 2018, Axl Rose said that the Trump administration was using "loopholes" in the various venues' blanket performance licenses to play GUNS N' ROSES music at Trump's rallies.