Sabrina Carpenter has joined a growing chorus of pop stars pushing back against the Trump administration’s deportation messaging, after the White House used a snippet of her song ‘Juno’ (2024) to soundtrack a hardline ICE video. The singer called the move “evil and disgusting,” warning the administration to keep her and her music out of what she described as an “inhumane agenda.”
Her rebuke escalates a simmering cultural and political showdown: the Trump White House is increasingly leaning on viral pop tracks to package its immigration crackdown, while artists from Olivia Rodrigo to Beyoncé are publicly rejecting any association with the policy. The administration, for its part, is punching back, framing artists’ objections as hostility to law enforcement.
The feud started after the White House posted a video on X showing US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers detaining, chasing, and handcuffing people on the streets.
Playing in the background was a line (‘have you tried this one’) from Carpenter and Amy Allen’s 2024 hit Juno.
“Have you ever tried this one? Bye-bye,” the White House tweeted, with a waving emoji and a heart-eyes emoji.
Have you ever tried this one?
Bye-bye 👋😍 pic.twitter.com/MS9OJKjVdX
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) December 1, 2025
Carpenter responded soon after.
“This video is evil and disgusting. Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda,” she wrote.
The White House was also quick to react. Spokesperson Abigail Jackson, in a statement to Fox News, hit back at the pop star with references to her album Short n’ Sweet (2024) and her chartbuster ‘Manchild’.
“Here’s a Short n’ Sweet message for Sabrina Carpenter: we won’t apologise for deporting dangerous criminal illegal murderers, rapists, and pedophiles from our country. Anyone who would defend these sick monsters must be stupid, or is it slow?” Jackson said.
White House vs Musicians
Carpenter’s social media battle with the Trump administration is not a one-off. It comes a month after fellow pop star Olivia Rodrigo also objected to the use of her song ‘All-American b–ch’ in another deportation video.
View this post on Instagram
The clip opens with the text: “If ICE finds you,” and quickly cuts to scenes of immigrants seemingly preparing to self-deport. The clip ended with the text, “Leave now and self-deport using the CBP Home app. If you don’t, you will face the consequences.”
In the comments, Rodrigo wrote, “Don’t ever use my songs to promote your racist, hateful propaganda.”
Instagram has now stripped the video of its audio, replacing it with a message that reads, “This song is currently unavailable.”
Pushback from the Department of Homeland Security followed.
“America is grateful all the time for our federal law enforcement officers who keep us safe. We suggest Ms Rodrigo thank them for their service, not belittle their sacrifice,” a spokesperson for the DHS told USA TODAY.
In August last year, musicians Beyoncé, Foo Fighters and Jack White expressed their disappointment at the Trump administration for using their songs without authorisation or permission.
Beyoncé’s song ‘Freedom’ was used in Trump’s presidential campaign last year following former President Joe Biden’s exit from the race. Beyoncé had backed Biden in 2020. Trump played “Freedom” multiple times in his campaign rallies in addition to social media posts.
After alleged threats of legal action, Trump’s team took down the video. But the controversy swirled after the song was used at a rally again. Beyoncé’s record label and music publisher sent a cease-and-desist letter, blocking the unauthorised use of her song.
British musician Adele and the iconic rock band Rolling Stones have also opposed Trump’s use of their music. The family of the late singer-songwriter Isaac Hayes had also filed a lawsuit against Trump last year, alleging that the Trump administration “willfully and brazenly engaged in copyright infringement” as they played Hayes-penned Sam and Dave hit ‘Hold on, I’m Comin’ during his campaign rallies last year.
(Edited by Stela Dey)