Ariana Grande has publicly criticized the White House after one of her songs was used in a social media video promoting the Trump administration’s immigration policies. The controversy began when the White House posted a short 14 second video on TikTok showing federal officers, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, carrying out arrests. In the background, Grande’s 2024 song “Bye” could be heard playing.
The video quickly attracted attention online. Its caption read, “Bye bye? President Trump has delivered the most secure border in history.” Many social media users reacted to the post, and Grande herself soon joined the conversation. The singer left a comment expressing her anger over the use of her music. She wrote, “Please do not use my music in relation to this barbaric, inhumane, heinous nonsense.”
Reports say Grande’s comment later became difficult to find, leading some people to believe it had been hidden. Shortly afterward, the music was removed from the video. The White House responded to the criticism through spokesperson Abigail Jackson, who defended the administration’s position. Jackson told CNN that the real issue was not the use of the song but crimes committed by some undocumented immigrants, saying that innocent American citizens had been harmed by criminal offenders.
Grande has been outspoken about political and social issues in the past. Earlier this year, she attended the Golden Globe Awards wearing an “ICE OUT” pin, a symbol often associated with criticism of Immigration and Customs Enforcement policies. Her latest comments reflect her continued opposition to the administration’s approach to immigration enforcement.
This is not the first time musicians have objected to President Trump or government agencies using their music. Over the years, several major artists, including ABBA, Adele, and John Fogerty, have publicly complained about their songs being played at campaign events or used in political settings without their approval.
A similar situation recently involved singer Olivia Rodrigo. The White House and the Department of Homeland Security posted a separate video showing immigration arrests while using Rodrigo’s song “All American Bitch.” According to reports, Rodrigo responded by writing, “Don’t ever use my songs to promote your racist, hateful propaganda.” Her comment was later deleted, and the song was removed from the video as well.
The incidents have renewed debate about whether political organizations and government agencies should use artists’ music in promotional content, especially when the artists strongly disagree with the message being presented.