After Sabrina Carpenter, SZA criticizes Trump for using her music in ICE video

The controversy begins

When pop stars meet politics, sparks fly instantly on social media feeds everywhere. The Trump administration’s recent strategy of using hit songs for immigration messaging sparked massive backlash from Grammy-winning artists.

SZA and Sabrina Carpenter became the public faces of a growing movement demanding artists’ rights protection. This story reveals deep tensions between protecting entertainment agendas in December 2025.

Sabrina Carpenter’s first stand

Sabrina Carpenter didn’t expect her 2024 hit Juno to become political ammunition in December. On December 2, the White House posted a video showing ICE agents detaining people set to her song.

Carpenter fired back immediately, writing “This video is evil and disgusting” on social media. Her powerful response, “Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda,” received over a million likes.

The Juno moment explained

During Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet Tour, she playfully “arrests” celebrity guests in pink handcuffs while performing Juno. The White House twisted this beloved concert moment by removing her image and inserting serious deportation footage instead.

Reporting indicates that an edited SNL clip was used, with audio altered to substitute words in a line, a move artists and outlets described as a deliberate edit to make the clip fit the immigration message.

SZA enters the fight

SZA’s turn came a week later when her SNL sketch song Big Boy appeared in a White House video. The 2022 Saturday Night Live digital short featured the line “It’s cuffing season,” which agents misused.

SZA called this “rage baiting” artists for free publicity and engagement online. She emphasized how the Trump administration weaponized beloved music for political propaganda purposes.

The rage baiting accusation

“White House rage baiting artists for free promo is PEAK DARK… inhumanity + shock and awe tactics… Evil n Bothese artists,” SZA wrote on anager Terrence Punch Hmediat engagementely supported her stance and called it “nasty business.”

The phrase “rage baiting” resonated globally, highlighting how officials provoked reactions. This tactic revealed deeper issues about artist exploitation and serious copyright violations.

The White House response

White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson responded dismissively, defending the posts as highlighting ICE operations and characterizing the removals as targeting dangerous criminals, remarks which further inflamed artists and critics.

The administration showed no willingness to acknowledge the unauthorized music usage or copyright violations. Their combative tone escalated tensions rather than resolving the real rights issues artists raised.

Historical pattern of Trump controversies

This isn’t Trump’s first major music battle with celebrities. Since 2016, artists including Neil Young, Rihanna, and The Rolling Stones sent cease-and-desist letters demanding action.

Tom Petty’s family demanded the campaign stop using his songs in 2020, as did Taylor Swift and Beyoncé. The Trump administration continued this disrespectful pattern into 2025, showing zero respect for artists’ rights.

Other artists joining forces

Olivia Rodrigo previously condemned the White House for using her song in controversial ICE videos, calling the content ‘racist, hateful propaganda.’​ Kenny Loggins, Bruce Springsteen, and Linkin Park have all objected throughout their careers.

MGMT discovered their song Little Dark Age ” was used in DHS recruitment content online. This collective pushback represented unprecedented artist solidarity across all music genres.

Copyright and legal implications

Using music without permission clearly violates copyright laws and artists’ rights completely. ASCAP and BMI operate political entity licenses and can remove songs from those licenses on request, but additional rights may still be required for recorded audio use. Still, master recording rights and publisher permissions are separate and must be considered separately.

The administration could face takedown requests and copyright complaints, and might face legal challenges if master or publishing rights were not secured. Still, the exact legal exposure depends on which licenses were in place for each use.

The Saturday Night Live connection

The SNL connection differs by artist. SZA’s Big Boys comes from an SNL sketch that became widely shared in late 2024, while Sabrina Carpenter has appeared on SNL, and her concert arrest bit predates the social media controversy and continued into 2025

Comedy sketches carry implicit consent only for their original platforms, never for political use. Using sketch content without the artist’s approval represented a new level of government audacity and disrespect.

Freedom vs control

These incidents raise critical questions about artistic freedom and personal expression. Artists invest their entire careers building their brand messages, values, and creative identity for fans.

The political misuse of their work significantly damages their credibility and fan relationships. This story highlighted the ongoing tension between public-domain assumptions and artists’ consent.

Social media amplification and viral moments

Both SZA’s and Carpenter’s responses went viral instantly, trending globally within just hours. Their posts received millions of views, likes, and supportive comments from supporters.

Social media allowed artists to bypass traditional media and speak directly to fans. This organic movement demonstrated how public pressure on platforms creates real government accountability.

Curious how the White House responded to Sabrina Carpenter’s reaction? Check out the full story.

What comes next?

The controversy sparked serious conversations about stronger protections for musicians’ rights nationwide. Legal experts actively demanded clearer guidelines preventing government misuse of copyrighted creative content.

Artists Rights Alliance demanded important policy changes to protect all future generations. This pivotal moment could reshape how governments approach music and artists in communications.

Sabrina Carpenter’s reaction led to the White House pulling a controversial video, and SZA is next in line to challenge the music use.

Like if you support artists speaking out and share your thoughts in the comments.

This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.

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