Ariana Grande Denounces White House for Using Her Song in Deportation Video

Ariana Grande has publicly rebuked the Trump administration for using her 2024 hit “Bye” as the soundtrack to a White House TikTok video celebrating immigration arrests, calling the footage “barbaric, inhumane, heinous nonsense” and demanding that her music never be associated with such content. The clip, posted on Monday, showed US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents placing individuals in handcuffs and chains, with a caption declaring that President Trump had delivered “the most secure border in history.” Grande’s comment, which also reportedly included the expletive “F*** ICE,” was later rendered invisible on the platform, and the audio track was removed within hours.

Viewed from Washington, the White House offered a swift and combative reply. Spokesperson Abigail Jackson retorted that “what’s actually barbaric, inhumane, and heinous are the criminal illegal aliens who have injured and murdered innocent American citizens.” The administration’s framing, which casts immigration enforcement as a matter of public safety, has been a hallmark of Trump’s second-term messaging, amplified through social media channels that blend official policy promotion with pop-culture aesthetics. The video itself arrived just days after the president signed a bill allocating more than $70 billion in border security funding.

European media coverage, particularly in Italy and Germany, focused on the artist’s agency and the subsequent silencing of the post. Italian outlets noted that Grande’s team actively sought the removal of the song, while German reports described the muted video as a symbolic victory for artists’ rights. Across the Arab world, the incident was framed as part of a wider pattern: Al-Jadeed pointed out that Grande joins a list of performers—including Sabrina Carpenter and SZA—who have previously objected to their work being used in political or promotional content linked to US immigration policies. This transnational lens underscores how the collision between celebrity and state propaganda resonates far beyond American borders, raising questions about copyright, moral rights, and the limits of government appropriation.

Analysts in London note that the episode is unlikely to be the last of its kind. The White House’s TikTok strategy, which relies on viral audio and youthful vernacular, increasingly places it in direct conflict with artists who hold opposing political views. While US copyright law may offer limited recourse for such uses, the reputational damage and public pressure campaigns—amplified by global fan bases—are proving effective in forcing content removal. As the administration continues to weaponise popular culture for policy promotion, the backlash from the entertainment industry is poised to intensify, turning each unauthorised sync into a potential flashpoint in the broader culture war.