R&B Artist JMSN Says Trump Illegally Used ‘Love Me’ in U.S.-Funded Campaign Ad

R&B artist JMSN (born Christian Berishaj) has accused former President Donald Trump of using his song 'Love Me' without permission in a 30‑second commercial that carried a 'Paid for by the U.S. Government' tag and aired this week on Fox News and Newsmax.

The short spot overlays a loop of the song's chorus — repeatedly singing 'I’ll make them love me' — with images of the 80‑year‑old politician and clips of Trump declaring, 'America will never be a communist country.' The ad also includes praise from UFC CEO Dana White and flashes a list of touted achievements such as 'Largest Tax Cuts In History,' 'Reigniting American Manufacturing,' and 'Defend Law And Order And Police.'

JMSN's Response

JMSN took to Instagram to say the campaign used his music 'illegally' and described two possible scenarios: the team asked to license the song and was denied, or they used it without permission and the public assumed a license existed. 'Obviously it went the second way,' he wrote. The indie artist, who said he was born to an Albanian father and raised in Detroit, emphasized he would never authorize his music for any political agenda and said he is 'looking at lawyers and handling this internally.'

The White House is insisting that the ad is simply a PSA, but Trump has given its timing a political backdrop, telling Republicans ahead of the midterms to “pretend that I’m on the ballot.” / Yashar Ali/X

Legal And Political Pushback

Critics and some legal experts have flagged the ad as potentially problematic because federal law forbids using government funds for 'publicity or propaganda purposes,' including communications that are 'purely partisan' or 'designed to aid a political party or candidates.' Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin suggested in a post that the spot could amount to 'felony criminal theft and conversion of government property for political campaign purposes' and called the use of government resources for campaigning 'blatantly unethical.' The timing — weeks before the midterm elections — and Trump's recent remarks asking Republicans to 'pretend that I'm on the ballot' have added to concerns about the commercial's intent.

White House Defense

The White House told The Washington Post that the spot is a public service announcement intended to 'remind Americans to love their country and understand what makes it worth defending, at home, at our borders, and abroad,' calling the ad 'educational and unapologetically patriotic.' The White House did not immediately respond to follow‑up questions from other outlets.

Bottom line: JMSN says his song was used without permission and is pursuing legal options, while critics argue the government‑funded ad may violate federal restrictions on partisan publicity.

As the dispute unfolds, the case highlights rising tensions over music licensing in political advertising and the limits on how taxpayer funds may be used in communications that appear to promote a particular candidate.