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In a swift turn of events, the White House found itself embroiled in controversy after posting and subsequently deleting a social media video that sparked significant backlash. The original video, which appeared on the White House’s official X account, aimed to promote Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests and controversially featured Sabrina Carpenter’s song “Juno.” The video, lasting just 21 seconds, depicted ICE agents detaining migrants while Carpenter’s lyric “Have you ever tried this one?” played repeatedly. The post was cheekily captioned, “Have you ever tried this one? Bye-bye,” accompanied by waving and heart emojis.
However, the controversy didn’t stop with the deletion of the initial video. The White House quickly reignited the debate by posting a new video. This time, it included edited footage from an October promotional clip of Carpenter’s “Saturday Night Live” (SNL) appearance, further escalating the situation.
Sabrina Carpenter, the 26-year-old pop star, did not take the use of her music lightly. She took to X to express her disapproval, stating, “This video is evil and disgusting. Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda.” Her sharp rebuke highlighted her strong stance against the video’s intended message.
Initially, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson stood by the controversial video. In statements to various news outlets, Jackson referenced Carpenter’s album “Short n’ Sweet” and mentioned lyrics from her recent single, “Manchild,” in an apparent attempt to justify the video’s content. Despite this defense, the backlash from Carpenter and the public suggests a misstep in the White House’s social media strategy.
“This video is evil and disgusting,” Carpenter wrote. “Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda.”
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson initially defended the video in a statement to multiple news outlets, referencing Carpenter’s album title “Short n’ Sweet” and lyrics from her recent single, “Manchild.”
“Here’s a Short n’ Sweet message for Sabrina Carpenter: we won’t apologize for deporting dangerous criminal illegal murderers, rapists, and pedophiles from our country,” Jackson told The Washington Post. “Anyone who would defend these sick monsters must be stupid, or is it slow?”
The administration quietly removed the video from X on Friday without explanation, though it remained posted on TikTok with the audio removed.
Hours after the deletion, the White House posted a new video featuring edited footage from an October promotional clip for Carpenter’s “SNL” appearance. In the original promo, Carpenter joked with cast member Marcello Hernández about needing to arrest someone for being “too hot.” The White House version overdubbed the audio, replacing “hot” with “illegal,” then cut to a montage of ICE arrests.
The caption read: “PSA: If you’re a criminal illegal, you WILL be arrested & deported.”
The dispute joins a growing list of artists who have objected to the Trump administration’s use of their music in promotional videos. Olivia Rodrigo, Kenny Loggins, Jess Glynne and the band MGMT have all condemned unauthorized use of their songs in recent months.
