--- title: Trump Campaign Gets Legal Threat for Using 'Dream On' description: Steven Tyler's lawyers claim Donald Trump does not have permission to use the Aerosmith song at rallies canonical: https://time.com/4069436/donald-trump-steven-tyler-dream-on/ author: Tanya Basu article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-10-11T20:05:01.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-19T07:43:44.439Z article:section: Politics og:title: Aerosmith Tells Donald Trump to Stop Using 'Dream On' og:description: It's the second warning from Steven Tyler's representatives og:url: https://time.com/4069436/donald-trump-steven-tyler-dream-on/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte1e9d31bbf2b6235/698867cff887dca905e92d08/gettyimages-491716698.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4000 og:image:height: 2250 og:image:alt: Republican Presidential Candidate Donald Trump Campaign Event og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Aerosmith Tells Donald Trump to Stop Using 'Dream On' twitter:description: It's the second warning from Steven Tyler's representatives twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte1e9d31bbf2b6235/698867cff887dca905e92d08/gettyimages-491716698.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Donald Trump Faces Legal Action For Using Aerosmith's 'Dream On' > Sponsored content. 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Brief is TIME's Washington newsletter, written by senior correspondent Philip Elliott. It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. It reaches 85,000 subscribers with a 37.0% open rate as of August 2026. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters.  by [Tanya Basu](https://time.com/author/tanya-basu/)  ## Tanya Basu Oct 11, 2015 8:05 PM UTC  Donald Trump speaks during a campaign event at the Electric Park Ballroom in Waterloo, Iowa on Oct. 7, 2015. Donald Trump speaks during a campaign event at the Electric Park Ballroom in Waterloo, Iowa on Oct. 7, 2015. Daniel Acker—Bloomberg—Getty Images  by [Tanya Basu](https://time.com/author/tanya-basu/)  ## Tanya Basu Oct 11, 2015 8:05 PM UTC Donald Trump has been powering his presidential campaign with Aerosmith’s hit “Dream On,” but the band isn’t too happy about it. Representatives of Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler have sent along a cease-and-desist to Trump’s campaign telling him to stop using the song at events, [according to a letter obtained by _The Hollywood Reporter_](http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/donald-trump-receives-legal-threat-831233). The letter claims it’s the second time the Trump camp has been asked to not use the song in his campaign, pointing to an August 21 event in Mobile, Ala. as the first instance. This second letter follows Trump’s recent appearance in Georgia. “Trump for President does not have our client’s permission to use ‘Dream On’ or any of our client’s other music in connection with the Campaign because it gives the false impression that he is connected with or endorses Mr. Trump’s presidential bid,” read the cease-and-desist letter, delivered Saturday. Trump has tweeted in the past of his admiration for Aerosmith and Steven Tyler. > [](https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/507548562763571200) Tyler and Trump have shared a friendship, with Tyler appearing at August’s Republican debate as a personal guest of Trump. Tyler has also appeared as a judge for Trump’s Miss USA pageant. But the duo’s personal ties aren’t getting Trump any brownie points. “We are unaware of any public performance license granting Trump for President the right to perform ‘Dream On’ in connection with the Campaign,” the letter continued. “If Trump for President has any such license, please forward it to our attention immediately.” Tyler’s attorney, Dina LaPolt, said the Tyler-Trump friendship isn’t on the rocks and that the issue has nothing to do with personal ties but rather with legalities. “This is not a political nor personal issue with Mr. Trump,” she said in a statement to _The Hollywood Reporter._ “Steven works tirelessly with both Republicans and Democrats regarding copyright reform and his position has always been consistent regarding copyright and intellectual property. Simply, one must get permission from the music creators. Steven wrote 100% of ‘Dream On,’ and this is about the un-authorized use of his property. Steven is a registered Republican.” ### Meet Donald Trump's Family  Left: Ivanka Trump with her mother, Ivana, in 1992; Right: Ivanka in New York City in February 2015. Ben Coster—Camera Press/Redux; Gilbert Carrasquillo—Getty Images  Left: Donald Trump Jr. and Donald Trump in 1988; Right: Donald Trump Jr. in New York City in April 2011. Ron Galella—Getty Images; Gilbert Carrasquillo—Getty Images  Left: Eric Trump and Donald Trump in 2007; Right: Eric Trump in New York City in October 2013. James Devaney—Getty Images; Astrid Stawiarz—Getty Images  Left: Marla Maples and Donald Trump's daughter Tiffany on March 19, 1996 in New York City; Right:Tiffany Trump attends Barbie and CFDA Event on Sept. 5, 2014 in New York City. Gregory Pace—Sygma/Corbis; J Carter Rinaldi—Getty Images  Left: Donald Trump's son Barron with his mother Melania at the FAO Schwarz in New York City; Right: Barron Trump with his father, Donald Trump and mother, Melania Knauss on Feb. 16th, 2015. 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