Two-time Grammy Award winner Sabrina Carpenter has slammed the White House for using one of her songs in a social media post about Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) raids, telling the Trump administration to never involve her in their “inhumane agenda”.
In a video posted to the White House X account, the 21-second clip shows federal enforcement officers chasing people down and detaining them.
The post was promoting the aggressive campaign that US President Donald Trump has pursued to crack down on illegal immigration since his second term began in January.
The video uses Carpenter’s song Juno from her 2024 album Short n’ Sweet — inspired by the 2007 film of the same name — which is about a teenage pregnancy.
Sabrina Carpenter won two Grammy Awards for her album Short n’ Sweet. (Reuters: Mike Blake)
In the song, Carpenter — who is known for writing cheeky innuendos — sings about “freaky positions”, asking “have you ever tried this one?”
In the White House video, the lyric is repeated as ICE agents haul people to the ground and handcuff their wrists behind their backs.
“This video is evil and disgusting,” Carpenter wrote on X, replying to the White House post.
“Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda.”
Sabrina Carpenter has called the video “evil and disgusting”. (X: SabrinaAnnLynn)
In response, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson doubled down and referenced more of Carpenter’s lyrics, this time from her recent single Manchild.
“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,” Ms Jackson wrote in a statement.
“Anyone who would defend these sick monsters must be stupid, or is it slow?”
Carpenter joins a long list of musicians who have objected to US president’s use of their music, from bands including ABBA, The Rolling Stones and The Beatles, and artists such as Beyoncé, Adele and Elton John.
Critics, including Pope Leo, have taken issue with the way in which the Trump administration has sought to carry out its immigration agenda.
ICE agents have arrested people at courthouses, on street corners of Hispanic neighbourhoods and in raids of apartment buildings where those suspected of being in the US illegally live.
