© 2026 ABC News

Tyler tweeted on Wednesday that his demand that Trump stop playing his music is not partisan but is driven by a concern over \"protecting copyright and the rights of songwriters.\"

“This is not about Democrats vs. Republicans. I do not let anyone use my songs without my permission,\" Tyler wrote. \"My music is for causes not political campaigns or rallies. Protecting copyright and songwriters is what I’ve been fighting for even before this current administration took office.\"

\"PHOTO:
Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images
PHOTO: President Donald Trump arrives for a political rally at Charleston Civic Center in Charleston, West Virginia, Aug. 21, 2018.
>

The letter, a copy of which was obtained by ABC News, also cites the musician's concern that playing Aerosmith music at Trump rallies implies that Tyler endorses Trump's \"campaign and/or his presidency.\"

\"By using “Livin’ On The Edge” without our client’s permission, Mr. Trump is falsely implying that our client, once again, endorses his campaign and/or his presidency, as evidenced by actual confusion seen from the reactions of our client’s fans all over social media,\" the letter says, citing a violation of Section 43 of the Lanham Act and adding that \"Mr. Tyler’s voice is easily recognizable and central to his identity, and any use thereof wrongfully misappropriates his rights of publicity.\"

In his tweets, Tyler also cites his and his bandmate Joe Perry's support for the Music Modernization Act, which was introduced by a bipartisan group of lawmakers on Capitol Hill in April. The legislation would provide artists relief by updating outdated royalty laws and allowing musicians to receive fair market compensation for songs that are played on digital streaming services, such as Spotify.

\"PHOTO:
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic/Getty Images
PHOTO: Brad Whitford, Tom Hamilton, Joey Kramer, Joe Perry and Steven Tyler of Aerosmith attend the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards at Radio City Music Hall on Aug. 20, 2018 in New York City.
>

Tyler's attorney told ABC News that \"Steven has been on the forefront of copyright reform with me since 2013. The Music Modernization Act is in amalgamation of many different bills that have had Steven’s support over the years namely the Songwriter Equity Act which was first brought to the floor by Congressman Doug Collins, our good friend,\" citing the two musicians' involvement with the advocacy group Songwriters of North America (SONA).

Steven Tyler got more publicity on his song request than he’s gotten in ten years. Good for him!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 14, 2015

In 2015, a defiant Trump got into a public feud with Tyler on Twitter, claiming that by playing \"Dream On\" at his rallies, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer \"got more publicity on his song request than he’s gotten in ten years.\"

Even though I have the legal right to use Steven Tyler’s song, he asked me not to. Have better one to take its place!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 14, 2015

\"Even though I have the legal right to use Steven Tyler’s song, he asked me not to. Have better one to take its place!\" Trump wrote at the time.

Since 2015, several other musicians, including The Rolling Stones, R.E.M. frontman Michal Stipe, Canadian rock singer Neil Young and British singer Adele have also objected Trump playing their music as his campaign events.

","canonicalUrl":"https://abcnews.com/Politics/steven-tyler-trump-aerosmith-music-rallies-dream/story?id=57364775","legacySlug":"/news/story/steven-tyler-trump-aerosmith-music-rallies-dream-57364775","noIndexNoFollow":false},"publishTime":"20:50","publishDate":"08-23-2018","updatedTime":"19:06","updatedDate":"08-26-2018","socialImage":{"alt":"Steven Tyler performs onstage at Celebrity Fight Night XXIV, March 10, 2018 in Phoenix.","credit":"Emma McIntyre/Getty Images","ratio":"16x9","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/Politics/steven-tyler-gty-thg-180823_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg","width":992,"height":558},"datePublished":"8/23/2018 20:50:00 GMT","video":{"live":false,"id":57364775,"headline":"Steven Tyler threatens Trump with legal action","mediaAssetTitle":"Aerosmith Steven Tyler donald trump","description":"\"I do not let anyone use my songs without my permission,\" Steven Tyler writes.","duration":"0:19","posterImg":{"url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","width":608,"height":342},"video":{"feed":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2018/08/180823_atm_aerosmith_cease_dissist_trump_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8"},"playlist":["133741861","133707237","133144263"]},"relatedItems":[{"contentType":"video","date":"June 10, 2026","headline":"NASA unveils Artemis III crew","section":"News","slug":"/video/133741861","id":"133741861","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: NASA unveils Artemis III crew","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260610_gma_benitez_artemis_715_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: NASA unveils Artemis III crew","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260610_gma_benitez_artemis_715_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260610_gma_benitez_artemis_715_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260610_gma_benitez_artemis_715_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260610_gma_benitez_artemis_715_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260610_gma_benitez_artemis_715_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260610_gma_benitez_artemis_715_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260610_gma_benitez_artemis_715_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260610_gma_benitez_artemis_715_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260610_gma_benitez_artemis_715_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"June 9, 2026","headline":"Flash flood threat as dangerous weather on the move","section":"News","slug":"/video/133707237","id":"133707237","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Flash flood threat as dangerous weather on the move","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260609_gma_zee_weather1_707_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Flash flood threat as dangerous weather on the move","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260609_gma_zee_weather1_707_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260609_gma_zee_weather1_707_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260609_gma_zee_weather1_707_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260609_gma_zee_weather1_707_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260609_gma_zee_weather1_707_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260609_gma_zee_weather1_707_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260609_gma_zee_weather1_707_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260609_gma_zee_weather1_707_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260609_gma_zee_weather1_707_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"May 20, 2026","headline":"Fashion mogul’s son arrested in father’s fatal fall","section":"News","slug":"/video/133144263","id":"133144263","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Fashion mogul’s son arrested in father’s fatal fall","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Fashion mogul’s son arrested in father’s fatal fall","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}}],"relatedContentSection":"news","schemaContent":{"name":"Steven Tyler threatens Trump with legal action","description":"\"I do not let anyone use my songs without my permission,\" Steven Tyler writes.","duration":"0:19","uploadDate":"08-23-2018","publication":"08-23-2018","images":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","url":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2018/08/180823_atm_aerosmith_cease_dissist_trump_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","contentUrl":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2018/08/180823_atm_aerosmith_cease_dissist_trump_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","link":"https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/story/steven-tyler-trump-aerosmith-music-rallies-dream-57364775"}},"playlist":[{"id":"133749799","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133777519","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133748258","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133730535","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133712423","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133694181","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133688738","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133616358","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133616342","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133522899","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133584123","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133579397","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133482839","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133390157","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133415361","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133414032","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133380485","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133358298","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133350119","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133307515","contentType":"story","section":"news"}],"kvps":{"pgtyp":"article","lang":"en","sp":"goodmorningamerica","programmatic":"true","bundleId":"com.abcnews"}},"analytics":{"accountID":"wdgnewwdgnewgmaweb","ns":"gma","pageName":"gma:news:video","pageType":"video","globalSpecVersion":"v1.08","siteDifferentiator":"gma:site","tagID":"g_page01","userABCookie":"0","section":"news","title":"Steven Tyler threatens Trump with legal action","pubTime":"16:50","pubDate":"08-23-2018","modTime":"15:06","modDate":"08-26-2018","taxonomyTags":"none","id":57364775,"editorialOtherSubjects":"","wordCount":"none","columns":"none","authors":"","authorsUnit":"none","authorsBureau":"none","subBrand":"Good Morning America","provider":"Good Morning America","videoName":"Steven Tyler threatens Trump with legal action","mediaAssetTitle":"Aerosmith Steven Tyler donald trump","videoId":57364775,"mediaOnPage":"video","legacySlug":"/news/story/steven-tyler-trump-aerosmith-music-rallies-dream-57364775"},"taboola":{}},"request":{"headers":{},"httpVersion":"1.1","method":"GET","url":"/video/57364775","vary":{"host":"www.goodmorningamerica.com","cached":true,"path":"/video/57364775","forwarded-proto":"https","device":"desktop","userab":"0"}},"viewport":{"width":1260,"height":0},"user":{}};