Attorneys representing musician JMSN have issued a cease-and-desist letter to the Trump administration, demanding an immediate halt to the use of his music in campaign-style television advertisements. The legal action follows the appearance of the song "Love Me" in a recently aired advertisement promoting President Donald Trump ahead of the November midterm elections.
Legal Claims of Copyright Infringement
The legal demand, sent Monday night to White House Chief of Staff Susan Wiles, was issued on behalf of Christian Berishaj, the artist known professionally as JMSN. According to a report by Gephardt Daily, the musician's legal team is seeking an immediate end to the use of the track, which was featured in an advertisement titled "The Country He Loves."
Lack of Licensing Authorization
Lawyers representing the musician, including representatives from Democracy Defenders Action and Ballard Spahr LLP, stated that the Trump administration used the music without obtaining a synchronization license, a master-use license, or any other form of authorization. The attorneys noted that the excerpted portion of the song constitutes "the heart of the copyrighted works."
Concerns Over Artist Affiliation
The legal team emphasized that the government's use of the music could negatively impact the artist's ability to license the song, as well as other works, in the future. Furthermore, the attorneys stated that JMSN does not wish to be viewed as being directly or indirectly affiliated with President Trump or his administration.
Legislative Criticism of Taxpayer Spending
The dispute arrives amid heightened scrutiny of the administration's use of taxpayer funds for advertisements. Several Democratic lawmakers, including Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, and Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, criticized the advertisements last week. The lawmakers compared the content to propaganda and sent a letter to the White House demanding the ads be removed from the air.
Allegations of Misuse of Funds
In their letter to the White House, the lawmakers described the use of public funds for such advertisements as "an egregious and illegal misuse of Americans' hard-earned tax dollars," asserting that the law prohibits the use of taxpayer money for political advertisements.
White House Defense
The White House has rejected the allegations that the advertisements constitute campaign material. In a statement released Friday, the administration described the segments as "public service announcements" rather than campaign ads, noting that President Trump is not on the ballot and the videos contain no call to action.
Ongoing Content Availability
The administration maintained that the announcements serve as a reminder for Americans to love their country and defend it at home, at the border, and abroad. However, as of early Wednesday, a 15-second version of the advertisement featuring the JMSN song remained available on the White House's YouTube account. In the video, Trump is heard in a voiceover declaring that the United States will never be a communist country while images of him appear on screen.
