Since returning to the White House, the Trump administration has heavily relied on social media to carry out official duties. Whether it’s President Trump making announcements on Truth Social or other executive branch leaders promoting their agencies, it’s clear that modern-day politicians understand the power of a single post.
However, the administration’s use of music in these posts has become a contentious issue. Many artists have responded to government agencies using their work without their permission, citing copyright concerns and expressing frustration that their songs are being used to promote political messages they do not support. At the same time, some conservative figures have pushed back, arguing that their views are more nuanced than these posts convey. Regardless of political affiliation, the argument that these posts and music choices are making light of serious topics can also be made.
For example, in December of 2025, the Trump administration used SZA’s “Big Boy” and Sabrina Carpenter’s “Juno” in separate promotional posts for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Both SZA and Carpenter publicly responded to the posts, with Carpenter’s strongly worded reply stating, “This video is evil and disgusting. Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda.”
Similarly, in November 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) used Olivia Rodrigo’s “All American B*tch” in a video encouraging undocumented immigrants to “self-deport.” In a comment on the now-deleted post, Rodrigo issued a firm response, “Don’t ever use my songs to promote your racist, hateful propaganda.”
Most recently, on Feb. 10, the White House’s TikTok account posted a video of U.S. military strikes set to Kesha’s “Blow.” The pop singer released a statement on March 2, saying “Trying to make light of war is disgusting and inhumane,” and “I absolutely do NOT approve of my music being used to promote violence of any kind.” Kesha also referenced the president’s past association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in her response.
However, this issue extends beyond the U.S. and the last few months. On Feb. 27, the British band Radiohead demanded that their song be removed from a post by ICE. Similarly, in July 2025, DHS used a trending audio clip from an ad by the U.K. airline Jet2 featuring British singer Jess Glynne’s “Hold My Hand.” Both the airline and Glynne released public statements condemning the Trump administration’s use of the audio. Many other artists have also called out the administration, with some objections dating back to the use of their music at Trump campaign rallies before his re-election.
Government officials have often responded to these complaints by removing the audio from the posts or deleting them altogether. However, as officials continue to refer to these artists’ work, the backlash hasn’t diminished. For example, in response to Carpenter’s reply, White House Spokesperson Abigail Jackson mentioned Carpenter’s album Short n’ Sweet and lyrics from her song “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. Anyone who would defend these sick monsters must be stupid, or is it slow?” Jackson stated.
While some copyright actions and cease-and-desist letters have been pursued, the government has largely avoided any major legal challenges. This is because of the administration’s “poach and run” tactic, the L.A. Times reports. Essentially, government officials will use an artist’s work and, when called out for it, remove the work and move on to the next artist.
Other officials have maintained that musicians’ responses to the posts have only increased their administration’s viewership. White House Communications Director Steven Cheung addressed this on X in response to Kesha’s statement.
“All these ‘singers’ keep falling for this,” said Cheung. “This just gives us more attention and more view counts to our videos because people want to see what they’re b*tching about.”
While a small number of openly conservative musicians exist, online tensions have also been fueled by the lack of public comment from other big-name artists. Most notably, 14-time Grammy Award-winning pop star Taylor Swift remained silent, despite having previously spoken out on both political issues and music ownership multiple times. Fans of these artists believe musicians should use their platforms to take a stance on the issue, and their silence is telling.
Musicians aren’t the only ones frustrated with government agencies using their work without permission. Artists of various other media have also voiced their dissatisfaction with the administration for the same reasons. This past January, Japanese graphic designer Hiroshi Nagai posted on X that DHS was using his work without permission. In July of 2025, the Kinkade Family Foundation released a statement that DHS used the late painter Thomas Kinkade’s “Morning Pledge” without permission and condemned DHS’s policies.
Lack of permission and support from artists is not the only reason the Trump administration has faced strong criticism on social media. Many social media users and news outlets have been quick to point out the white supremacist rhetoric used in some government agency posts and the songs that accompany them.
It’s worth noting that amid these actions, several other tensions have arisen between the music industry and conservative politicians. For example, in response to Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show, conservative group Turning Point U.S.A. held a separate “All-American Halftime Show,” illustrating that the debate over political tension in music extends beyond just government officials and artists. Similarly, during recent award shows, several creatives addressed numerous political topics, with the most recent conversation focusing on ICE enforcement. These tensions are expected to become apparent again during the 2026 Oscars on March 15.
This conflict between music and politics has been especially prominent in the country genre. In March of 2025, country singer Morgan Wallen posted a picture of a private jet with the caption “Get me to God’s country,” after leaving abruptly from an SNL appearance. Although Wallen has not publicly commented on his political beliefs, this, along with the Turning Point halftime show, illustrates ideas similar to those of the rising Christian nationalist movement in the U.S., which is largely backed by conservatives. Additionally, in October of 2025, country musician Zach Bryan posted an audio clip referring to ICE, which became the center of a broader conversation about the role of politics in the genre, and caused reactions from senior government officials.
Therefore, while it’s hard to say exactly how music and social media will continue to shape politics in the U.S., it’s clear that politicians and government officials are using both spheres to advance their political goals, despite the criticism that follows.