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A new Trump administration ad featuring the song "Love Me" has landed the White House in the middle of two separate controversies, over the use of taxpayer money and whether the song was used without the artist's permission.
The 30-second ad, which began airing this week, features President Donald Trump speaking about defeating "communism, socialism and Marxism" while images of him flash across the screen. Messages promoting his record on taxes, manufacturing and law enforcement also appear before UFC CEO Dana White praises Trump as "the toughest, most resilient person" he has ever met.
At the end of the commercial, a disclaimer says it was "Paid for by the U.S. Government."
That has drawn questions from lawmakers, particularly because the ad is running less than six weeks before the November midterm elections.
The White House has pushed back on the idea that the commercial is political. A spokesperson described it as a "public service announcement" meant to remind Americans to love their country and said the ad was "educational and unapologetically patriotic."
But critics, including Democratic lawmakers, argue that the spot looks much more like a political advertisement because of its focus on Trump and his messaging about the upcoming elections. Rep. Jamie Raskin said the use of government resources could violate federal restrictions on political activity, while other lawmakers have asked the White House to disclose how much the ad cost and which government agency paid for it.
There is also the matter of the song playing throughout the commercial.
JMSN, the singer and songwriter behind "Love Me," said he never authorized the song's use and made clear that he did not want his music associated with a political campaign or agenda.
"To anybody who has followed my career and knows what I stand for and built my career on, it should go without saying that I would never authorize my music to be used for ANY political agenda or campaign," he wrote on X.
JMSN said he was now looking into his legal options.
"I've built my career independently outside of any major system and have made it a point to not sacrifice my artistic integrity. I don't have a publicist or anything so being forced in a situation like this and having to comment is ridiculous. I am looking at lawyers and handling this internally," he said.
The White House has not indicated whether it obtained permission to use the song.
