‘Wicked’ Star Ariana Grande Slams White House for Using Her Song in ICE Deportation Campaign: “Barbaric and Inhumane”
Ariana Grande has spoken out strongly against the White House after one of her songs was used in a video involving ICE deportation content. The situation started when a TikTok post from the White House used a version of her 2024 song “Bye” over footage that showed ICE agents arresting and handcuffing people.
Grande responded directly in the comments on the TikTok post. She asked the administration to stop using her music in that context. In her message, she wrote, “Please do not ever use my music in relation to this barbaric, inhumane, heinous nonsense.” This was reported by Reuters, which confirmed the comment.
According to a spokesperson for Grande who spoke to Variety, the singer did post the comment, but it is not visible on the TikTok video anymore for reasons that are not clear. The same spokesperson also said her team is trying to get the sound removed from the video completely.
@whitehouse Goodbye criminal illegals! The Trump admin will keep fighting to keep America Safe 🇺🇸
♬ original sound – The White House
The White House responded through spokeswoman Abigail Jackson. In a statement shared, she defended the administration’s actions and pushed back on Grande’s criticism. She said, “We’ll say this one last time: what’s actually barbaric, inhumane, and heinous are the criminal illegal aliens who have injured and murdered innocent American citizens.”
The exchange quickly turned into a public back-and-forth. Another White House official, Deputy Press Secretary Kush Desai, also responded directly to Grande. He used wordplay based on her songs and said, “Save your tears, Ariana. Because President Trump’s actions ended Joe Biden’s inflation crisis and are bringing in trillions in new investment. He even signed an executive order just like magic that paved the way for the FTC to crack down on Ticketmaster for ripping off Ariana Grande’s concert-going fans. Get well soon, Ariana!”
This is not the first time Ariana Grande has spoken about political issues involving the Trump administration. According to Variety, she previously reshared an Instagram post in September 2025 that criticized ICE raids and comments described as transphobic, along with broader concerns about threats to democracy. The original post was written by activist Matt Bernstein as a message directed at Trump supporters.
Grande has also shown support for Democratic political figures in the past. She supported Kamala Harris during the 2024 presidential election. She also performed at a White House event during the Obama administration in 2014 called “In Performance at the White House: Women of Soul,” where she appeared alongside other artists.
Outside of the controversy, Grande is currently active in her music career. She is on her “Eternal Sunshine” tour and is scheduled to perform at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles this weekend.
The situation has drawn attention because it mixes entertainment, politics, and social media use of copyrighted music. As reported by Reuters and Variety, Grande’s team is now continuing efforts to have the video removed or altered, while the White House has stood by its original post and response.
Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!
