A recording artist and a government watchdog on Tuesday demanded that taxpayer-funded television ads featuring President Donald Trump be taken off the air, adding to bipartisan criticism that the spots amount to political advertising paid for with public money five weeks before the midterm elections.
Attorneys for Christian Berishaj, who performs as JMSN, sent the White House a cease-and-desist letter saying his song “Love Me” was used without permission in one of the nationally broadcast commercials. Public Citizen separately filed complaints with federal regulators, arguing the ads are campaign spots that should not be produced or aired with taxpayer resources and urging broadcasters to stop running them.
Democratic Sens. Patty Murray and Chris Murphy asked Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to explain the campaign, saying the administration diverted $20 million from the agency to pay for it. “This administration’s defense of using Americans’ tax dollars to air these ads is as absurd as it is offensive,” they wrote.
One commercial shows Trump declaring that “America will never be a communist country” while a chorus repeats “love me.” Another pairs Mount Rushmore imagery with Trump praising a “golden age of America.” A third describes a “final battle” against the “deep state” and closely resembles a 2024 Trump campaign ad.
Berishaj said on Instagram he would “never authorize my music to be used for ANY political agenda or campaign.” Public Citizen said the ads “should be produced and distributed on campaign time and without involving taxpayer dollars.” Critics say the spots may violate longstanding limits on government propaganda and partisan political activity by executive-branch officials.