Ariana Grande has issued a strong rebuke to the Trump administration following the recent use of her music in a politically charged TikTok video promoting immigration enforcement. In a comment posted on June 11, the renowned pop artist expressed her disapproval, labelling the content “barbaric, inhumane, [and] heinous nonsense.” The comment was made in response to a TikTok posted by the White House that featured Grande’s track “Bye” from her album *Eternal Sunshine*.
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The White House video, intended to highlight President Trump’s alleged successes in border security, included clips of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers carrying out arrests while echoing the sentiment of the song’s chorus. “Bye-bye 👋 President Trump has delivered the most secure border in history,” read the accompanying caption. In a decisive move, Grande’s music was promptly muted from the video shortly after her critique emerged.
Grande is not alone in her condemnation; other musicians have responded similarly to the administration’s usage of their work since Trump began his second term. Notably, Sabrina Carpenter reacted to a December video showcasing ICE arrests that featured her song “Juno.” Carpenter expressed her outrage directly, labelling the video as “evil and disgusting,” and urged the White House never to associate her music with such “inhumane” actions.
SZA also voiced her concerns in December after the Trump administration incorporated her parody song “Big Boys” from *Saturday Night Live* into a video that portrayed ICE agents detaining individuals. The caption stated, “WE HEARD IT’S CUFFING SZN. Bad news for criminal illegal aliens. Great news for America.” SZA commented on the inappropriateness of the situation, calling it “PEAK DARK” and decrying the administration’s tactics as both “inhumanity” and “shock and awe.”
This isn’t the first time artists have protested the unauthorised use of their music in support of Trump’s policies. In previous incidents, singer Kenny Loggins demanded the removal of his classic track “Danger Zone” from an AI-generated video posted by Trump. The video depicted Trump metaphorically dumping sludge on anti-Trump protesters and was met with a swift rebuttal from Loggins.
Even Olivia Rodrigo, a rising star in the music industry, felt compelled to intervene when her song “All-American Bitch” was used in a November video showcasing ICE actions. In a now-deleted comment, Rodrigo described the administration’s use of her song to promote what she termed “racist, hateful propaganda,” further highlighting the broader concerns many artists share regarding their work being repurposed for political gain.
In a recent interview with *Dazed*, Rodrigo expanded on her feelings about this issue. She described it as “deeply disturbing” to see her music used in context with such “awful and barbaric” political actions. The emotional toll of seeing her song used for this purpose has left her feeling frustrated about the state of affairs in the country.
As tensions rise surrounding immigration policies in the United States, the pushback from artists like Ariana Grande and others underscores a significant dissatisfaction with the way their work is being utilised. They are calling on the Trump administration to respect their intellectual property and their artistic intentions, as many of their songs promote messages that starkly contrast with the government’s current rhetoric and actions.
The backlash from musicians represents a broader cultural resistance against the prevailing political narratives, highlighting the power of artistic expression and the role artists play in advocating for social justice and humane treatment. With multiple artists now standing up against the administration’s unauthorized use of their songs, the conversation around music, politics, and morality continues to evolve. As events unfold, we can expect the music industry to maintain its vocal stand against any misuse of artistic content in political contexts that conflict with their values.