American pop superstar, Ariana Grande, has publicly criticised the administration of President Donald Trump after the White House used her music in a social media video promoting immigration enforcement operations.
The controversy erupted when the official White House TikTok account posted a compilation video featuring actions carried out by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The clip was accompanied by Grande’s hit song, “Bye.”
Reacting strongly to the post, Grande condemned the administration’s immigration policies, describing the enforcement operations as “inhumane.” The singer also demanded that the White House immediately stop using her music catalogue for political messaging and ended her response with a sharp anti-ICE statement.
The pop superstar harshly blasted the White House for using her song in the TikTok video that featured ICE agents arresting immigrants, according to Variety.
“Please do not ever use my music in relation to this barbaric, inhumane, heinous nonsense. F— ICE,” Grande wrote.
The White House quickly fired back. Spokeswoman defended the administration’s stance on border security and immigration enforcement.
“We’ll say this one last time: what’s actually barbaric, inhumane, and heinous are the criminal illegal aliens who have injured and murdered innocent American citizens,” Jackson said in an official statement.
Grande now joins a growing list of internationally recognised artists who have objected to the unauthorised use of their music in political campaigns and government-related media. Other stars who have previously raised similar concerns include Beyonce, Celine Dion and Rihanna.
The latest clash highlights the ongoing tension between politicians and entertainers over the use of copyrighted music in political messaging and campaign content.
