US

Foundation Demands Image Of Reagan In MAGA Hat Be Removed From Trump Bus

Photo by Michael Evans. The White House. Getty.

Melanie Wilcox Contributor
Font Size:

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute requested Monday that the operator of a pro-Donald Trump bus remove a photo of former President Ronald Reagan wearing a “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) hat, according to a letter obtained by Salon.

“It has come to the Reagan Foundation’s attention that you are using Ronald Reagan’s image on the side of your tour bus known as ‘The Trump Train,’ as seen at a recent ‘America First’ rally in Florida,” stated the letter, penned by Dallas-based attorney Linda Merritt and posted by Salon.

“There are laws restricting the use of a person’s name and likeness even after a person’s death,” the letter continued. “For example, both California and Florida rights of publicity laws prohibit the use of a deceased person’s name and likeness for a commercial purpose without the consent of the holder of the rights of the deceased person.”

The letter stated that the Reagan Foundation owns the trademark and therefore the image is solely affiliated with the foundation. ‘The Trump Train’ operator William Leonard “Buddy” Hall, Jr. has until Friday, May 21, to remove Reagan’s image, the letter said. (RELATED: Walmart Trying To Block Kanye West’s New ‘Ray’ Logo)

Buckingham Palace demanded Hall remove a photo of Queen Elizabeth wearing a MAGA hat from the bus, according to Buzzfeed News. GoDaddy executives also asked Hall to remove their name from the bus, HuffPost reported.

“They [GoDaddy] built us a nice website,” Hall said, according to HuffPost. “I just wanted to show my appreciation.”