White House Draws Fire for Using Sabrina Carpenter‘s ‘Juno’ in ICE Video
WASHINGTON D.C. – The White House is facing criticism after using singer Sabrina Carpenter’s song “Juno” as the soundtrack to a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Instagram video depicting ICE officers detaining and deporting individuals. Carpenter, a supporter of Vice President Kamala Harris, joins a growing list of artists objecting to the unauthorized use of their music by the administration for political purposes.
The DHS video,which featured a montage of people boarding DHS flights and a caption urging self-deportation via the CBP Home app with a warning of ”consequences” for non-compliance,prompted Carpenter to publicly denounce the use of her music,stating,”don’t ever use my songs to promote your racist,hateful propaganda.” This incident follows similar controversies involving artists like Olivia Rodrigo, whose song “All-American Bitch” was used in a separate DHS video showcasing ICE operations, and Taylor Swift, whose hit “The Fate of Ophelia” was repurposed as “The Fate of America” in a TikTok video featuring former President Trump’s mugshot.
The White House has acknowledged deliberately provoking media coverage with these videos. A representative told Variety the videos were designed to get “fake news media brands” to “breathlessly amplify” their message,adding,”Congrats,you got played.” This strategy echoes a pattern of the administration utilizing popular music without permission, recently including Kenny Loggins’ “Danger Zone” in an AI-generated video depicting Trump seemingly dumping waste on anti-trump protestors. These instances raise questions about copyright law and the ethical implications of political campaigns appropriating artists’ work.
