Olivia Rodrigo has criticised the Trump administration after her song “All-American Bitch” was used in a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) video promoting self-deportation. The video, shared on Instagram on November 4, shows ICE agents detaining people of colour and urges undocumented immigrants to “leave now and self-deport using the CBP Home app.”
Rodrigo responded directly in the comments on the post, writing: “Don’t ever use my songs to promote your racist, hateful propaganda.” The song, from her 2023 album Guts, includes the lyrics: “All the time, I’m grateful all the time, I’m sexy and I’m kind, I’m pretty when I cry.”
Rodrigo is not the first artist to object to the use of their music in Trump administration deportation content. Singer Jess Glynne denounced a White House post that used her song “Hold My Hand” alongside a caption referencing a “one-way Jet2 holiday to deportation.” Glynne wrote on Instagram: “This post honestly makes me sick. My music is about love, unity, and spreading positivity — never about division or hate.”
In September, comedian Theo Von also asked the DHS to remove a video quoting him saying, “Heard you got deported, dude — bye.” Von, who had previously been Trump-friendly, wrote in a now-deleted tweet: “Yooo DHS i didnt approve to be used in this. … When it comes to immigration my thoughts and heart are alot more nuanced than this video allows.”
The Trump administration has intensified immigration enforcement, with the DHS announcing in January that it was ending a policy restricting ICE arrests at houses of worship, schools, and hospitals.
