Bold claim: using an artist’s work to push a political agenda without permission crosses a line worth defending. Sabrina Carpenter has publicly pushed back after discovering The White House used her song Juno in a 21-second clip depicting ICE detentions.
Kirsty McCormack, Deputy TV & Showbiz Editor
11:27 ET, 02 Dec 2025 Updated 15:06 ET, 02 Dec 2025
Pop star Sabrina Carpenter condemned the Trump administration for featuring her track Juno in a video showing people being detained by ICE. In a response to a clip posted on X (formerly Twitter) on December 1, Carpenter, 26, wrote: “this video is evil and disgusting. Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda.”
The clip in question appeared on The White House’s official X page and interspersed footage of handcuffed individuals and people being pursued through streets with a recurring excerpt from Carpenter’s December 2024 song, specifically the line “Have you ever tried this one?”
The White House captioned the post, “Have you ever tried this one? Bye-bye,” accompanied by waving and heart-eye emojis.
Carpenter responded publicly on December 2, prompting swift support from fans. Reactions ranged from lighthearted jokes about copyright to strong calls for legal action and accountability:
- “copyright strike it queen.”
- “queenie !!! cease and desist they ass boo,”
- “SUE the Living F out of them!! LOL.”
- “Thank you for standing up for human rights and democracy Sabrina. We love you and support you!”
- “I think you can c&d them for using your song Sab!”
- “hit em with the copyright violation queen!”
Entertainment Weekly notes that when reached for comment, a White House representative offered a pointed response: a brief, unapologetic statement asserting they would not apologize for deporting “dangerous criminal illegal murderers, rapists, and pedophiles.” The rep also referenced lyrics from Carpenter’s song Manchild, suggesting that anyone who defends such individuals might be “stupid, or is it slow?”
The incident follows weeks after Sabrina’s friend Taylor Swift faced a separate dispute when the White House used Swift’s track The Fate of Ophelia in a TikTok video, then reframed it in captions to imply a harsher fate for the nation.
This isn’t the first time the Trump campaign has faced pushback over music use. Earlier, a federal judge in Atlanta ordered Trump’s team to cease using Isaac Hayes Jr.’s song Hold On, I’m Coming in campaign events, after Hayes’s estate filed suit over alleged copyright violations. The judge’s ruling stopped future use but did not compel removal of already-posted videos. Attorneys for Trump indicated the campaign would refrain from using the song going forward, arguing there was no malicious intent to upset the Hayes family.
Contemplations for readers: Should political entities be allowed to reuse popular songs in campaign materials without explicit permission, or should artists hold strict rights over their music regardless of context? What protections exist for artists when songs are repurposed in ways that argue a stance they may not endorse? Share your thoughts in the comments.
