Sabrina Carpenter slams White House for using her song in ICE video
Sabrina Carpenter has criticized the White House’s video of her song as “evil and disgusting.”
The White House removed a video featuring Sabrina Carpenter’s song after the singer called the post “evil and disgusting.”
The post showed people being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement as the musician’s song “Juno” played. The “Espresso” singer, 26, slammed X on Tuesday, Dec. 2, for using her song without permission.
“This video is evil and disgusting,” she wrote. “Please never involve me or my music for your inhuman purposes.”
The White House’s X account then posted a clip of Carpenter on “Saturday Night Live,” in which he said he was going to arrest star Marcello Hernandez as part of the comedy. The post is captioned, “PSA: If you are an illegal offender, you will be arrested and reported,” encouraging illegal aliens to turn themselves in.
White House deputy press secretary Abigail Jackson pushed back in a statement provided to USA TODAY, referencing lyrics from another of Carpenter’s songs, “Manchild.”
“Here’s a short and sweet message to Sabrina Carpenter: We make no apologies for deporting dangerous criminals, illegal murderers, rapists, and pedophiles from our country,” Jackson said before referencing the song’s lyrics. “Are those who defend this diseased monster stupid or dull?”
Olivia Rodrigo previously criticized the White House for using the song
Carpenter is the latest pop singer to object to the White House’s use of their music.
Olivia Rodrigo spoke out in November after the Department of Homeland Security and the White House used the singer’s 2023 song “All American Bitch” on social media to promote the voluntary deportation of illegal immigrants.
“Please never use my songs to promote racist and hateful propaganda,” Rodrigo said at the time, according to Billboard and Rolling Stone.
In response, a DHS spokesperson told USA TODAY in a statement that referenced the lyrics of Rodrigo’s song: “America is always grateful to our federal law enforcement officers for keeping us safe. We suggest to Rodrigo that we not downplay their sacrifices, but instead thank them for their service.”
Carpenter, a Grammy-winning singer whose popularity has skyrocketed since the release of her 2024 hit single “Espresso,” told fans during a concert in Seattle that she “feels sorry for our country” after President Donald Trump’s victory over former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election. At the time, she said on stage: “To the women here, I love you very, very, very, very much.”
Contributor: KiMi Robinson, USA TODAY
