Sabrina Carpenter blasts White House for using her song in viral immigration video

Sabrina Carpenter has condemned the White House after her song “Juno” was used in a government video promoting the administration’s latest immigration crackdown. The clip, shared across official channels, featured the track from her 2024 album Short n’ Sweet over footage of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests.

The pop star reacted within hours, calling the use of her music “evil and disgusting” and writing: “Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda.” The video also quoted one of her lyrics, “Have you ever tried this one? Bye-bye”, in its caption.

White House hits back at the singer

A spokesperson responded with a statement that referenced Carpenter’s own album and song titles. The message accused critics of opposing the administration’s enforcement actions and insisted officials would not apologise, escalating the exchange across social media.

Franklin the Turtle publisher joins backlash

Carpenter was not the only one distancing herself from government messaging this week. Kids Can Press, the publisher of children’s character Franklin the Turtle, criticised US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth for sharing an edited image of Franklin holding a bazooka. The publisher said Franklin represents “kindness, empathy and inclusivity” and condemned any “violent or unauthorised use” of the character’s image.

Other artists have pushed back before

Carpenter joins a long list of musicians objecting to political use of their songs without permission. Beyoncé challenged the use of “Freedom” in 2024, while Celine Dion condemned the placement of “My Heart Will Go On” in a campaign clip the same year. Kenny Loggins demanded the removal of a Trump video featuring “Danger Zone”, and acts including ABBA and Foo Fighters have also publicly objected to similar unauthorised uses.

Aasiya Nazir