The musician whose song “Love Me” was featured in a recent ad promoting President Trump ahead of the midterm elections has sent a cease-and-desist letter to the White House.
Lawyers for Christian Berishaj, who performs as JMSN, wrote Monday to White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles to “demand that the government immediately cease and desist from any further use of ‘Love Me.’”
“To be absolutely clear, JMSN does not want to be viewed as directly or indirectly affiliated with the President or his Administration,” the letter states. “As he said in his Instagram post denouncing the Advertisement, he ‘would never authorize [his] music to be used for ANY political agenda or campaign.’”
Mr. Berishaj is represented in the matter by Norman L. Eisen, co-founder of Democracy Defenders Action, which has sued the Trump administration on several fronts, and lawyers from Ballard Spahr, a firm that does extensive work in media law.
Mr. Trump used “Love Me” in a recent self-promotional video that is running on conservative stations and was paid for with public money. A shorter version of the video was also posted to the White House’s official YouTube channel.
The White House has defended using public money for the ad, arguing it is a public service announcement.
The lawyers gave Ms. Wiles until Thursday to confirm that the White House had stopped using Mr. Berishaj’s song.
The post ‘Love Me’ Artist Demands Trump Stop Using Song appeared first on New York Times.
