A beloved rock star triggered massive backlash on social media this week after he demanded that President Donald Trump stop playing his music at campaign rallies.

The hoopla started after word broke that Aerosmith’s classic song “Livin’ on the Edge” had been played at President Donald Trump’s rally Tuesday night at the Charleston Civic Center in West Virginia.

Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler’s legal team responded by submitting a cease-and-desist letter to the White House sternly warning of the legal ramifications if Trump keeps playing his music.

“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 read.

Listen:

“What makes this violation even more egregious is that Mr. Trump’s use of our client’s music was previously shut down, not once, but two times, during his campaign for presidency in 2015,” Tyler’s legal team added, referring to previous alleged copyright violations.

Does he actually possess the right to stop Trump from playing his music at campaign rallies? Yes. After Trump’s election campaign played Aerosmith’s classic song “Dream On” at a rally in 2015, Tyler’s team reportedly sought to revoke the campaign’s public performance licenses.

“As such, we are unaware of any remaining public performance license still in existence which grants Mr. Trump the right use his music in connection with the Rallies or any other purpose.”

While this means Tyler is technically in the right, most on social media still see him in the wrong:

??Attention patriots??@IamStevenT of @Aerosmith doesnt want us listening to his music, tells his fans to??off! He has taken legal action 2stop President Trump from playing Aerosmith songs at his events. How disgustingly PETTY!#DONEWithAerosmith

https://t.co/VKcj22vu5a — Jali_Cat{⭐️} (@Jali_Cat) August 22, 2018

.@IamStevenT: make Steven Tyler‘s music great again! #MAGA You should be paying @POTUS for playing your music at his rallies. Be cool, don’t be all uncool! Live on the edge Steven. Don’t be a little b**ch and complain! pic.twitter.com/6OL7r5ZKdA — GITMO ?? (@President1Trump) August 23, 2018

When someone buys their song they have the right then at that time to play it wherever they choose. The band can not tell anyone where to play it once it’s purchased by and individual. — Aloha Elvis (@nickgraham_24) August 23, 2018

Aerosmith ought to be grateful if their songs are played at Trump rallies. That’s free advertisement to tens of thousands of people who would never have listened to it otherwise. Tyler should stick to music & keep his enormous mouth shut about politics.#DONEWithAerosmith — K ~ IndyK ? (@IndyK46220) August 23, 2018

MY LIFE IS BUILT ON ROCK AND ROLL. I bought tickets to Aerosmith’s concerts in 1984 when Steven Tyler couldn’t even remember the words. I didn’t care. Music is my SOUL! I stuck with them. But guess what I’m #DONEWITHAEROSMITH Don’t disrespect my country??❤️ — gottahaveFaith?? (@phaithnomore) August 23, 2018

Try the band Tesla. Aerosmith dropped from my fave. Totally #DONEWithAerosmith ! Once I heard Steven is a #pedo , I thought that was the last straw… Now with this, no going back. pic.twitter.com/e2mXakqeOx — Deb ?? (@debkrause1959) August 23, 2018

65 Million Americans just said #DONEWithAerosmith

Sweet ?

Bye bye @Aerosmith — The Russian Bot’s Cat 4 Trump (@Mermaid7474) August 23, 2018

#DONEWithAerosmith Does that ass realize he just lost Millions of fans? Probably tens of Millions.#LiberalismIsAMentalDisease — The Russian Bot’s Cat 4 Trump (@Mermaid7474) August 23, 2018

To many, Tyler’s refusal to allow Trump to play his music is tantamount to the rock star disrespecting the office of the president.

The backlash became so severe that the rock star eventually addressed the issue in a Twitter statement claiming his legal demands weren’t related to politics but rather about “protecting copyright and songwriters.” As proof, he cited his fervent support of the so-called Music Modernization Act.

Look:

THIS IS NOT ABOUT DEMS VS. REPUB. I DO NOT LET ANYONE USE MY SONGS WITHOUT MY PERMISSION. MY MUSIC IS FOR CAUSES NOT FOR POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS OR RALLIES. PROTECTING COPYRIGHT AND SONGWRITERS IS WHAT I’VE BEEN FIGHTING FOR EVEN BEFORE THIS CURRENT ADMINISTRATION TOOK OFFICE. — Steven Tyler (@IamStevenT) August 22, 2018

THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY @JOEPERRY AND I HAVE BEEN PUSHING THE SENATE TO PASS THE MUSIC MODERNIZATION ACT. NO IS A COMPLETE SENTENCE. — Steven Tyler (@IamStevenT) August 22, 2018

The regulation Aerosmith’s lead singer supports would nationalize the music industry by forming a government-controlled collective to handle all licensing concerns.

As noted by Breitbart, the key problem with this collective “is that it would be run by the government, specifically the U.S. Copyright Office, making it prone to cronyism, corruption, and mishandling of intellectual property.”