The White House has issued a stinging rebuke to Ariana Grande after she called out supporters of Donald Trump online.
Using titles from her own songs against her, the Trump administration channels hit back at the singer, claiming that she had misrepresented Trump’s record in office.
The 32-year-old singer had previously shared an Instagram post from a podcast host criticizing the Trump presidency.
It all started when Grande shared a post originally created by ‘A Bit Fruity’ podcast host Matt Bernstein, in which he slammed voters who cast their ballot for Trump instead of Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in the 2024 election.
Ariana Grande shared the post taking aim at Trump's record in government. Credit: Instagram
In that post - later shared by Grande - Bernstein wrote: “I want to check in with [Trump] voters."
“I have one very genuine question: it’s been 250 days. now that immigrants have been violently torn from their families and communities have been destroyed, now that trans people have been blamed for virtually everything and live in fear, now that free speech is on the brink of collapse for us all — has your life gotten better?”
It continued: “Have your groceries gotten cheaper? Has your health insurance premium gone down? Has your work/life balance improved?
“Can you take a vacation yet? Are you happier?
“Has the widespread suffering of others paid off for you in the way he promised it would, or are you still waiting?”
The White House responded in typically fiery fashion
White House spokesperson Kush Desai hit back at Grande in a post on official channels, using her own songs against her.
“Save your tears, Ariana,” the post began.
“Because President Trump’s actions ended Joe Biden’s inflation crisis and are bringing in trillions in new investments,
“He even signed an executive order just like magic that paved the way for the FTC to crack down on Ticketmaster for ripping off Ariana Grande’s concert-going fans.
“Get well soon, Ariana!”
Ariana Grande. Credit: Christina House/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
Of course, it goes without saying that Grande supported Harris at the previous election and will presumably remain no fan of the Trump administration.
Whether she chooses to hit out at them publicly again is anyone’s guess.
The White House has fired back after Ariana Grande condemned them for using one of her songs in a video promoting immigration arrests.
The controversy began after the Trump administration shared a TikTok on Tuesday (June 9) featuring footage of ICE agents carrying out arrests.
The 32-year-old's song 'Bye' was used as the soundtrack, while the video was captioned: "Bye-bye. President Trump has delivered the most secure border in history."
The Grammy-winning singer did not hold back when she responded in the comments section.
"Please do not ever use my music in relation to this barbaric, inhumane, heinous nonsense. F*** ICE," she wrote, according to Variety.
As of this writing, the comment was no longer visible on the post. However, representatives for Grande confirmed to the outlet that she had made the comment, adding that "for some reason it's not publicly visible".
The sound appears to have been removed from the video.
Ariana Grande told the White House not to use her music in relation to ICE anymore. Credit: SAVERIO MARFIA / Getty
White House Response and Grande's previous criticism of Trump policies
The administration quickly pushed back against Grande's comment in a statement shared with Variety.
"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," White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said.
The statement appeared to contain a pointed reference to Grande's 2014 hit 'One Last Time' from her album, My Everything.
This is not the first time the 'The Way' songstress has publicly criticized immigration policies associated with President Donald Trump.
Last September, Grande shared an Instagram post claiming that "immigrants have been violently torn from their families and communities have been destroyed," per Yahoo.
At the time, White House deputy press secretary Kush Desai responded by referencing several of Grande's song titles in a statement, including 'Save Your Tears', 'Just Like Magic', and 'Get Well Soon'.
Sabrina Carpenter criticized the White House for using her song 'Juno' in an ICE arrest video. Credit: Pascal Le Segretain / Getty
Other Artists Have Also Objected
Grande is not the only musician to condemn the administration for using popular songs in immigration-related content.
In November 2025, Olivia Rodrigo slammed the White House and the Department of Homeland Security after her song 'All-American B***h' was used in a video encouraging undocumented migrants to "self-deport".
"Don't ever use my songs to promote your racist, hateful propaganda," she wrote.
Donald Trump can’t seem to keep Taylor Swift’s name out of his mouth.
The President of the United States took another bizarre jab at the pop superstar this week, posting yet another bizarre Truth Social post - this time, appearing to attack Swift’s looks.
Now, it looks like Trump believes his comments have had a deeper impact on Swift.
“Has anyone noticed that, since I said ‘I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT,’ she’s no longer ‘HOT?’” the 78-year-old posted Friday (May 16), setting social media ablaze - with critics slamming Trump over the comment.
Trump took yet another shot at Swift. Credit: Truth Social
"Imagine being such a bitter piece of s**t that you feel the need to tweet this out," one X user wrote.
A second echoed: "Really? You’re an 80 year old man concerned about the popularity of someone half your age?"
"No, she's still hot, but you're not," a third tweeted, with another adding: "I love that Taylor lives rent free in your mind!! Taylor sold out arenas around the world!"
It was just the latest in a string of personal insults Trump has hurled Swift’s way — some in speeches, others online — many of them seemingly fueled by his frustration over her increasingly vocal political influence.
From “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT” to “How did that work out?”
Trump first declared his distaste for Swift in September 2024, blasting her on Truth Social just hours after she announced her support for the Harris/Walz ticket.
Swift previously voiced support for Kamala Harris. Credit: Kevin Mazur / Getty
“I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT,” he wrote in all caps.
At the time, he claimed Swift’s political leanings would damage her brand. “She seems to always endorse a Democrat. And she’ll probably pay a price for it in the marketplace,” he alleged.
Days later, he doubled down during a Fox & Friends appearance, saying: “I was not a Taylor Swift fan. It was just a question of time. ... But she’s a very liberal person.”
By February, his attacks had spilled into public events. During the Eagles' post-Super Bowl visit to the White House, Trump made sure to remind everyone he and Swift were both at the game where the Chiefs — led by Swift’s boyfriend Travis Kelce — were defeated.
“I was there along with Taylor Swift,” he told the crowd, before twisting the knife: “How did that work out?” He repeated the line as the audience laughed. It marked the first time a sitting US president had ever attended a Super Bowl in person.
Obsession on repeat
Swift’s high-profile appearances at Chiefs games throughout the NFL season sparked endless political commentary. Fans questioned why the spotlight was on her rather than the games themselves.
At the 2025 Super Bowl in New Orleans, where both Trump and Swift attended, Eagles fans were seen booing the singer.
Trump wasted no time jumping on the moment. He reposted a screenshot from the Libs of TikTok account showing crowd reactions to both him and Swift, with the caption: “Trump gets massive cheers at the Super Bowl while Taylor Swift gets booed – The world is healing.”
Shortly afterward, he trolled her again — this time with a doctored image showing Swift holding a flag that read: “Trump won, Democrats cheated!”
Taylor Swift was savagely booed as she watched the Chiefs vs the Eagles at the Super Bowl. Credit: Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
Even months into his second term, Trump was still fuming over her influence.
Springsteen Gets Dragged Too
Swift wasn’t the only celebrity in Trump’s firing line this week. Just 40 minutes after his latest jab at her, the President set his sights on Bruce Springsteen, who had recently blasted Trump’s administration during a concert in Manchester, England.
“I see that Highly Overrated Bruce Springsteen goes to a Foreign Country to speak badly about the President of the United States,” Trump wrote.
Trump would also take a shot at Bruce Springsteen. Credit: Truth Social
“This dried out ‘prune’ of a rocker (his skin is all atrophied!) ought to KEEP HIS MOUTH SHUT until he gets back into the Country, that’s just ‘standard fare’. Then we’ll all see how it goes for him!”
Earlier in his post, Trump had also ripped the singer as “a pushy, obnoxious JERK,” “dumb as a rock,” and “not a talented guy.”
He accused Springsteen of backing “Crooked Joe Biden, a mentally incompetent FOOL,” and claimed the U.S. “would have been GONE by now” if he hadn’t won the election.
Springsteen had told the Manchester crowd: “The America I love, the America I've written about, that has been a beacon of hope and liberty for 250 years is currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent, and treasonous administration.”
Swiftie Family Ties
Despite Trump’s ongoing attacks, not everyone in the Trump family is anti-Swift. Ivanka Trump and her daughter Arabella are self-declared Swifties. The pair were spotted at a Miami stop of the Eras Tour, and Arabella recently celebrated her 13th birthday with a Taylor Swift-themed party.
Arabella Trump with her Swift-themed birthday cake. Credit: Instagram/IvankaTrump
“Best cake for my favorite Swiftie,” Ivanka posted alongside a heart-shaped cake decorated with lyrics from Swift’s song 'Blank Space'.
Katy Perry has condemned the White House after it used her hit song 'Firework 'in a social media video showing military strikes.
On July 23, the White House's official TikTok account shared a clip featuring footage of missiles exploding while the 41-year-old's 2010 anthem played in the background.
The clip was timed to the lyrics "boom, boom, boom" as explosions appeared on screen and carried the caption: "Iran has been warned."
Katy Perry has slammed the White House after it used her hit song 'Firework 'in a social media video showing military strikes. Credit: Jared C. Tilton - FIFA / Getty
Two days later, Perry addressed the video in a post on X, writing: "I am deeply appalled and angry to see 'Firework' used on the @WhiteHouse TikTok account as a backing track for video footage of military strikes. I did not approve this, I was not asked, and I absolutely do not condone it."
The pop songstress went on to explain why the video's use of the song was especially upsetting.
"I wrote this song to be an anthem of hope, healing, and inner strength for people going through their darkest personal moments."
"To see a message of self-worth and upliftment weaponized to soundtrack destruction and violence is a complete violation of everything my song stands for," Perry continued. "My music is for bringing people together, not celebrating warfare."
She joins a growing list of artists
Perry is far from the first musician to publicly object to the administration using their music in official social media posts.
Last month, Ariana Grande criticized the White House after it uploaded a TikTok promoting its immigration crackdown featuring footage of ICE officers making arrests set to her song 'Bye'.
The video was captioned: "Bye-bye 👋 President Trump has delivered the most secure border in history."
Grande responded in the comments: "Please do not ever use my music in relation to this barbaric, inhumane, heinous nonsense. f*** ice," Variety reported.
Although her comment later disappeared from public view, representatives confirmed to the publication that she had posted it. The audio was later removed from the TikTok.
Following Grande's criticism, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson defended the administration's use of the song.
"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 a statement shared with Variety.
The response also appeared to reference Grande's song 'One Last Time'.
Ariana Grande told the White House not to use her music in relation to ICE anymore. Credit: SAVERIO MARFIA / Getty
Kesha, Olivia Rodrigo and Sabrina Carpenter have also spoken out
Earlier this year, Kesha blasted the White House after her song 'Blow' was used in a TikTok featuring a fighter jet firing a missile.
"It's come to my attention that the White House has used one of my songs on TikTok to incite violence and threaten war," she wrote on Instagram Stories. "Trying to make light of war is disgusting and inhumane."
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung responded on X by writing: "All these 'singers' keep falling for this. This just gives us more attention and more view counts to our videos because people want to see what they're b***hing about."
Olivia Rodrigo also hit out at the administration after her song 'All-American B***h' was used in a video encouraging undocumented migrants to "self-deport."
"Don't ever use my songs to promote your racist, hateful propaganda," she wrote.
Sabrina Carpenter later called out officials after her track 'Juno' appeared in another ICE-related video, posting: "This video is evil and disgusting. Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda."
The White House has found itself at the center of controversy once again, after pop sensation Sabrina Carpenter criticized the administration for using one of her songs in a video that she described as promoting an "inhumane agenda."
The pop star, known for her hits and social media presence, took to X (formerly Twitter) to express her outrage over the unapproved use of her music.
Sabrina Carpenter Speaks Out Against the White House Video
The drama began on Tuesday when the White House posted a video featuring Carpenter's song "Juno" playing in the background.
The video showed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents making arrests. Carpenter, 26, did not mince words when condemning the video and its message.
In a post on X, she wrote: “This video is evil and disgusting. Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda.”
Carpenter’s strong words quickly gained traction, as fans and followers rallied behind her in support.
White House Responds to the Backlash
Despite the public outcry, the White House stood firm on its decision to use the song, defending the video’s content.
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson issued a blunt response, telling Newsweek: “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 went on to criticize the singer's stance, citing Carpenter’s lyrics from her own song 'Man Child,' where she sings, “Is it stupid, or is it slow?”
Jackson added: “Anyone who would defend these sick monsters must be stupid, or is it slow?”
Carpenter has hit out at the White House. Credit: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic/Getty
The White House and Its History of Song Backlash
Carpenter is not the first artist to voice frustration over the White House's use of their music. In July, British pop star Jess Glynne also called out the administration for using her song 'Hold My Hand' in a promotional video.
The video, posted by the White House, showed multiple people in handcuffs being escorted onto flights by ICE agents, with the tagline: “When ICE books you a one-way Jet2 holiday to deportation. Nothing beats it!”
The clip, which was part of a social media trend, quickly amassed over 12 million views, but it didn’t sit well with Glynne.
She responded on Instagram, saying: “This post honestly makes me sick. My music is about love, unity, and spreading positivity – never about division or hate.”
ICE often shares videos featuring popular songs. Credit: David Dee Delgado / Getty
Celebrity Backlash Continues
Glynne was not alone in her criticism. Actress Zoe Lister, who voiced the Jet2 holiday commercial that accompanied Glynne’s song, also spoke out against the White House’s use of the audio.
Lister tweeted: “What can be done about @whitehouse using @jet2pics sound and my voiceover to promote their nasty agenda?”
Other artists have joined in the protest as well, including high-profile names like ABBA, Bruce Springsteen, Olivia Rodrigo, Neil Young, Guns N’ Roses, Rihanna, Beyoncé, and Adele.
These musicians have all made their feelings known about the administration’s use of their music in promoting its policies.
Featured image credit: Pascal Le Segretain / Getty
Taylor Swift appears to disapprove of her music being linked to the Republican Party, namely the leader of said party: President Donald Trump.
In fact, on Wednesday (September 23), the Instagram account @teamtrump, which is the president's official campaign page on the social media platform, shared a post that included the pop megastar's song 'Father Figure'.
However, Swift appears to have formally requested the track's removal from the post, as it is now muted, with a message stating: "This song can't be played because it's currently unavailable."
What was the post all about?
Included in the post was an image of Trump smiling on a CD cover with the words "Zer(illegals) have crossed our borders in 16+ months" written on it.
The caption read: "And, baby, that’s sh0w business for y0u. 🫡"
The removal of the song has caused a real stir among fans, with one person responding, "As she should, they so desperately want attention and for Taylor to respond."
Another wrote: "Never the hugest TS music fan - but respect how she gets s**t done."
A third penned: "Why does he keep doing things like that? He’s so obsessed with her."
A fourth added: "Oh ffs they are ridiculous, constantly using her for engagement."
The Swifties believe that the US leader's team are doing their best to take advantage of the artist's stardom - particularly with the upcoming release of her latest music video.
Dakota Johnson and Colin Farrell were cast in the visuals for Swift's single 'Patient Zero'.
Taylor Swift. Credit: Gareth Cattermole/TAS24 / Getty
Taking to Instagram, the 'All Too Well' singer posted a short preview for the music video.
'Patient Zero' will officially debut at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) on Sunday.
Is the president a Taylor Swift fan?
Trump appears to have mixed views on Swift. In 2012, he said he liked her before making a U-turn six years later when Swift encouraged her fans to vote against Republican Marsha Blackburn during the Tennessee midterm race. At the time, Swift referred to Blackburn as "Trump in a wig".
Trump. Credit: Anadolu / Getty
Trump responded by telling White House reporters, "I like Taylor’s music about 25 percent less now."
Things turned from bad to worse when Swift opted to endorse his political opponent, former Vice President Kamala Harris.
Featured image credit: Andreas Rentz/TAS24 / Getty
.jpg_I4Ebof?tr=cr-0.338.2730.3068,f-webp,q-70,w-100)
.webp_vBqgAR?tr=cr-242.0.1293.1051,f-webp,q-70,w-100)
.webp_QQJmGo?tr=cr-345.0.1535.1190,f-webp,q-70,w-100)
.webp_SmgFsc?tr=cr-292.0.1244.952,f-webp,q-70,w-100)
.webp_vBqgAR?tr=cr-242.0.1293.1051,f-webp,q-70,w-1024)
.webp_QQJmGo?tr=cr-345.0.1535.1190,f-webp,q-70,w-1024)
.webp_SmgFsc?tr=cr-292.0.1244.952,f-webp,q-70,w-1024)