Sabrina Carpenter is the latest pop star to find herself in a feud with Donald Trump over his appropriation and use of their music.
Carpenter objected on Tuesday to the Trump administration’s use of her song “Juno” in a video montage, posted by the official White House X account, of what appears to be arrests by federal agents.
“This video is evil and disgusting,” the “Manchild” singer replied on the social media site. “Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda.”
Asked by MS NOW for comment, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson, referencing another Carpenter lyric, 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?”
Despite the administration’s repeated insistence that it is focused on immigrants with criminal records, an analysis of the Department of Homeland Security’s own data by Syracuse University’s TRAC data group shows the vast majority – more than 73% – of those held in ICE detention facilities have no criminal conviction.
Carpenter could not be immediately reached for further comment.
Carpenter joins several other prominent artists who have been targeted recently by the administration for speaking out against Trump or more specifically against his aggressive anti-immigration agenda. (Carpenter also, incidentally, joins the swelling ranks of musicians who have objected to Trump’s unauthorized use of their work.) After Ariana Grande posted on her Instagram story in September to criticize the administration over its immigration policy, anti-transgender agenda and censorship, White House deputy press secretary Kush Desai told her to “Save your tears,” a reference to one of her songs. In May, Trump posted about Taylor Swift, at whom he had lashed out for her endorsement of his Democratic rival during the election campaign: “Has anyone noticed that, since I said ‘I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT,’ she’s no longer ‘HOT?’” Around the same time, Trump went after Bruce Springsteen for denouncing the president at a concert in Manchester, England, where the singer called the administration “corrupt, incompetent and treasonous.” Trump called the rock legend “Highly Overrated,” writing in part, “Never liked him, never liked his music, or his Radical Left Politics and, importantly, he’s not a talented guy.”
Erum Salam is a breaking news reporter and producer for MS NOW. She previously was a breaking news reporter for The Guardian. Recommended
