White House Quietly Deletes ICE Video After Sabrina Carpenter Backlash
In a striking turn of events, the Trump White House has removed a controversial video featuring Sabrina Carpenter’s hit song “Juno,” which was used to promote U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activities. The video, which depicted ICE officers in action, quickly went viral but not in the way the administration had anticipated. Following a wave of backlash from Carpenter and her fans, the White House deleted the post on Friday without any official explanation. Carpenter, a rising pop star known for her catchy tunes and engaging performances, took to social media to express her outrage, labeling the video as “evil and disgusting.” She firmly stated, “Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda,” highlighting her disapproval of the government’s use of her art for what she perceives as a harmful narrative.
The White House’s response to Carpenter’s condemnation was equally charged. Spokesperson Abigail Jackson defended the administration’s actions, stating, “We won’t apologize for deporting dangerous criminal illegal murderers, rapists, and pedophiles from our country.” This exchange underscores a growing trend where artists are pushing back against political entities that co-opt their music for messaging that contradicts their values. Carpenter’s “Juno,” which has become a fan favorite during her recent Short ’n Sweet Tour, was particularly poignant in this context, as the song was associated with playful themes of attraction rather than the serious and often contentious issues surrounding immigration. The tour itself saw Carpenter humorously “arrest” audience members for being “too attractive,” a stark contrast to the serious nature of the ICE video.
This incident follows a similar backlash from other artists, such as Olivia Rodrigo, who previously condemned the White House for using her song “All-American Bitch” in a video promoting self-deportations. Rodrigo’s statement, “Don’t ever use my songs to promote your racist, hateful propaganda,” echoes the sentiments expressed by Carpenter and highlights a growing movement among musicians to reclaim their narratives from political misuse. As Carpenter closes out a breakout year filled with chart-topping hits and sold-out performances, the controversy surrounding her music’s association with ICE serves as a reminder of the power and responsibility artists hold in shaping public discourse. As of now, the White House has not provided further clarification regarding the video’s removal, leaving fans and critics alike to ponder the implications of such political maneuvers in the realm of popular culture.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INfkjyvSfCM
After facing sharp criticism from Sabrina Carpenter and her fans, the Trump White House has quietly removed a controversial video that featured her song “
Juno
” in a post promoting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity.
The post quickly went viral—but not for the reasons the administration may have hoped, as the White House seemingly deleted the post on Friday without explanation.
On Tuesday (Dec. 2), the pop star slammed the government for posting a compilation of United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers chasing, tackling and handcuffing people on the streets while a snippet of the
Short n’ Sweet
hit “Juno” plays. “This video is evil and disgusting,” Carpenter wrote on
X
.
“Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda,” she continued.
Following Carpenter’s objection earlier this week, in a response shared with
Newsweek
, spokesperson Abigail Jackson said, “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. Anyone who would defend these sick monsters must be stupid, or is it slow?”
As of press time, the White House has not posted an explanation for the removal, and representatives for Carpenter have not issued additional comment beyond her viral reply. Carpenter closes a breakout year with multiple Hot 100 hits and a sold-out arena run, and “Juno” remains one of her most visible live moments.
The deleted clip followed recent instances in which official Trump-era channels paired pop hits with political messaging — a tactic that’s drawn pushback from
artists such as Olivia Rodrigo
, who last month condemned the White House for pairing a video encouraging self-deportations to her song “All-American Bitch.”
“Don’t ever use my songs to promote your racist, hateful propaganda,”
she wrote
at the time.
The recent use of Carpenter’s “Juno” was especially charged given the song’s fan-favorite status on Carpenter’s
Short ’n Sweet Tour
, where she
playfult “arrested”
people
for being too attractive just before performing “Juno” each night. Before the trek wrapped in November after more than a year on the road, Carpenter had distributed fuzzy pink handcuffs to everyone from Millie Bobby Brown, to TWICE, SZA and Miss Piggy of
The Muppets
.
