Why R.E.M. Is Pissed at Donald Trump 

Mike Huckabee and Kentucky clerk Kim Davis aren't the only ones to muster the wrath of rock stars this week.

Republican presidential candidates Donald Trump and Ted Cruz are in hot water for using rock band R.E.M.'s music on the campaign trail, following an event in Washington, D.C.

At a "Stop The Iran Deal" rally on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, Trump walked to the podium with music blasting from the loudspeakers by R.E.M. The song was their 1987 hit, "It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)," which was chosen to introduce Trump's speech slamming President Obama's proposed Iran nuclear deal.

The event was actually a rally for rival GOP presidential contender Ted Cruz, who invited Trump to speak.

The band's out lead singer Michael Stipe, who often campaigns for liberal causes, has made it clear he is furious the candidates have used R.E.M.'s music to deliver their message.

"Go f--- yourselves, the lot of you -- you sad, attention-grabbing, power-hungry little men," Stipe wrote in an email he shared with The Daily Beast. "Do not use our music or my voice for your moronic charade of a campaign."

Stipe's former band mate Mike Mills concurred, tweeting, "Personally I think the Orange Clown will do anything for attention. I hate giving it to him."

The band's official Facebook page shared a statement that made clear the use of its music was not authorized nor condoned, and asked the candidates to "cease and desist." The statement also encouraged fans to "focus on the bigger picture," and not allow "grandstanding politicians" to distract from more important issues during the election season.

This is not the first time R.E.M. has asked that their music be left alone. In 2012, the band protested when Fox News played their song "Losing My Religion" during its coverage of the Democratic National Convention, issuing a cease and desist while decrying the network's "puff adder brand of reportage."

In June, Trump faced a similar reaction when he used Neil Young's song "Rockin' In The Free World." Young's management company issued a statement making it clear the Canadian rocker, a Bernie Sanders supporter, did not approve.