The White House is facing serious backlash after using pop artist Sabrina Carpenter’s hit song Juno to promote the Trump administration’s deportation efforts in a new video, and the specific lyrical choice is truly shocking. This latest video is a montage showing several arrests made by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), but the soundtrack seems to be mocking the detainees.
The clip in question features the lyrics, “have you ever tried this one?” which is a direct and awful reference to how Sabrina has been performing the song on her recently wrapped Short n’ Sweet Tour. If you’re unfamiliar with her live routine, after she sings that lyric in concert, Sabrina demonstrates a different sex position on each tour stop. To then overlay that lyric onto a montage of people being detained and physically positioned during arrest is incredibly weird.
This incident marks the latest time a major pop star’s music has been co-opted for DHS’s mission, and it makes you wonder if Sabrina will follow the lead of her fellow pop princess, Olivia Rodrigo. Interestingly, Sabrina and Olivia had actually squashed their rumored feud earlier this year, so it’ll be fascinating to watch if Sabrina claps back at The White House for using her single in such a controversial way.
This isn’t the White House’s first rodeo, but this one reaches a new low
Olivia Rodrigo faced a very similar situation recently. DHS ripped off her song All-American B**** to promote self-deportation, and Olivia did not hold back her reaction once she found out about the video. She commented directly on the post, telling them, “Don’t ever use my songs to promote your racist, hateful propaganda.” The song has since been removed from the video, though it’s unclear whether the removal came from Olivia’s team or the government’s end.
It seems like the administration’s social media team hasn’t learned its lesson about using content without permission or understanding the artist’s intent. Several other high-profile figures and companies have also resisted the government’s attempt to use their work for promotional videos, pushing back hard when their content appears in these politically charged clips.
For example, a DHS video released in September featured comedian Theo Von making a sarcastic joke about deportation in the background. He quickly shut that down and resisted the use of his material. Zach Bryan also objected when the DHS used one of his songs in a promo video. Even the Pokémon company, which would otherwise be amused by the White House’s attempt to portray Trump as a gaming icon, objected to having their material associated with this type of treatment.
This kind of content usage puts artists in a terrible position. It forces them to either ignore the issue or take a public stand against the administration’s policies, which can open them up to massive political backlash from certain fan groups. It’s already evident how the administration is ready to wage war on any opposing voice.
It’s safe to say that using a lyric that clearly references sex positions to mock the physical distress of detainees is a new low, and it puts Sabrina in a far more difficult spot than the other artists who simply had their songs used without context.
Published: Dec 2, 2025 01:30 pm