Singer demands White House stop using song in Trump ad

Singer JMSN (Christian Berishaj) objected after the White House used his song Love Me without a license in a 30-second government-funded ad. On September 24, 2026 he posted on X that anyone who followed his career would know he would never authorize his music for any political agenda, that he built his career independently without sacrificing artistic integrity, and that he was looking at lawyers. On Monday attorneys at Ballard Spahr and Democracy Defenders Action sent a cease-and-desist to Chief of Staff Susie Wiles stating the White House neither requested nor received permission, that JMSN does not want to be viewed as affiliated with the president or his administration, and that he is not. They demanded the ad stop airing, online copies come down, and networks be instructed not to run it, with confirmation due by 5 p.m. Thursday. Norm Eisen announced the demand on September 29, 2026. AdImpact tracked more than $2.5 million spent over the past week; $20 million in Customs and Border Protection funds was set aside for the broader campaign. CNN reported Trump personally pushed the campaign and selected some footage. CONTESTED: The White House defends the ad as a non-political public service announcement. JMSN's attorneys say the unauthorized use creates a false impression of endorsement and damages his artistic independence. Public Citizen filed a complaint alleging the ads violate federal restrictions on government employees' political activity. Whether the White House meets the Thursday deadline and whether a lawsuit follows remain open.