After finding out that President Donald Trump is still using his music at political rallies, Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler is taking matters into his own hands – again.
At a Trump rally in West Virginia on Tuesday (Aug 21), Aerosmith’s 1993 hit song “Livin’ On The Edge” could be heard blaring from the arena’s speakers. A short video was captured by CNN’s Chief White House Correspondent Jon Acosta and posted to his Twitter.
The scene in WV before Trump’s rally. Aerosmith’s “Livin’ on the edge” playing. pic.twitter.com/HW1qr9TBgE
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) August 21, 2018
Upon finding out this information, Tyler immediately sent Trump a cease and desist letter via his attorney Dina LaPolt. The letter accused Trump of “willful infringement in broadcasting the song.”
Tyler wrote the song in the early 1990s with bandmate Joe Perry and famed songwriter-producer Mark Hudson. Tyler’s cease and desist letter cited the Lanham Act, which, according to Variety, “prohibits any false designation or misleading description or representation of fact … likely to cause confusion … as to the affiliation, connection, or association of such person with another person.”
LaPolt argues that Trump’s use of Aerosmith’s music gives the public the impression that Tyler and his bandmates are endorsing his presidency, which is not the case.
Not The First Time
This isn’t the first time Tyler has had to take legal action against President Trump. In 2016, when he was campaigning for president, he played the iconic Aerosmith song “Dream On” at his rallies. Tyler and Trump knew each other pretty well, so the “Love Is Your Name” singer got him on the phone to try and work things out.
Tyler actually explained how the phone call went down during a recent appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience.
“Amy, over there, worked for his wife for seven years,” Tyler explained pointing to his assistant. “And I was in Maui and I get a phone call and she says ‘Jesus, it’s Donald.’”
“He calls me up and I said ‘Donald, you can’t use ‘Dream On’ – that’s for causes…not campaigns’,” he continued, revealing that even after he told Trump not to use the song he did anyway. “And I had to sue him!”
After Tyler filed the lawsuit, Trump sent him a letter saying, “I found a better song.”
Who knows if Trump will continue using “Livin’ On The Edge” at his rallies, but if he does – Tyler will likely have to sue him again. Watch Tyler’s full interview with Joe Rogan in the video below.
Warning: Adult language