Pop sensation Sabrina Carpenter has launched a furious attack on the White House after her hit single was used to soundtrack a controversial video celebrating recent immigration arrests.
Song Used to Herald ICE Arrests
The official White House account, under President Donald Trump, posted a video on TikTok earlier on Monday. The clip featured a montage of people being taken into custody by agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The video used Carpenter's song 'Juno' as its backing track.
Playing on the song's lyrics, the caption read, 'Have you tried this one? Bye-bye,' accompanied by a love-heart eyes emoji. The track, however, is widely interpreted as being about sexual positions, making its use in this context particularly jarring for many viewers.
Carpenter's Fiery Condemnation
Carpenter did not hold back in her response. She directly addressed the official White House account on the platform X, formerly Twitter, with a barbed message.
'This video is evil and disgusting,' the singer wrote. 'Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda.'
Public reaction to the White House's unconventional use of the pop song was sharply divided. Some social media users praised the administration's tough stance on immigration and its deployment of ICE agents in U.S. cities.
One user, identifying as a Latino immigrant, commented: 'I'm a hard-working Latino, 75 hours a week, I obey the law, came here legally, I pay my taxes, I speak English, I love this country and I VOTED FOR THIS! Safety and order for my loved ones.'
A Pattern of Controversial Music Use
This incident is not an isolated one. Earlier in the month, the White House used Olivia Rodrigo's song 'All-American B****' in an Instagram video. That post carried a message urging immigrants in the country illegally to 'self-deport' voluntarily or face consequences from ICE.
Rodrigo was similarly incensed, writing in the comments: 'Don't ever use my songs to promote your racist, hateful propaganda.' The Department of Homeland Security later issued a statement to TMZ suggesting Rodrigo should thank law enforcement officers instead.
Another post spoofed Taylor Swift's 'The Fate of Ophelia' to 'The Fate of America', which many online found ironic given Trump's history of criticising Swift, a known supporter of Democratic candidates.
In response to the latest video involving Carpenter, some users defended the White House's approach to social media, calling it humorous and satirical. 'Yo, whoever is running this page is actually so funny,' one said. Another commented, 'This edit is diabolical! Freaking gold!'
Others strongly protested, with some pointing to President Trump's past associations and others hoping Carpenter would pursue legal action. One critic starkly declared, 'We are officially a Godless country.'
The controversy highlights the increasingly contentious intersection of pop culture and political messaging, with artists fiercely defending their work from being co-opted for agendas they do not support.
