The White House publicly responded to Ariana Grande on Thursday after the singer condemned the administration’s use of one of her songs in a social media video featuring scenes of Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests, as reported [1] by the New York Post.
The video, shared on TikTok, originally used Grande’s track “Bye” as its soundtrack alongside a caption claiming, “Bye-bye. President Trump has delivered the most secure border in history.”
Earlier this week, the 32-year-old artist called out the usage directly in a comment, writing, “Please do not ever use my music in relation to this barbaric, inhumane, heinous nonsense. f– ice.”
In response, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson issued a statement to Fox News Digital saying, “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.”
@whitehouse [2]Bye-bye President Trump has delivered the most secure border in history♬ original sound – The White House [3]
As of Thursday, the song had been removed from the official video, though no explanation was provided for the change.
Grande has previously been outspoken about her political and social views, particularly on immigration.
Last September, she posted on Instagram claiming that “immigrants have been violently torn from their families and communities have been destroyed.”
Her activism dates back to early in Donald Trump’s presidency, when she attended the Women’s March and publicly opposed his transgender bathroom ban.
She also expressed criticism of the president last year, reposting an image of a protest sign that read, “Could someone explain which crimes get you deported and which ones get you elected President? It’s so confusing.”
The message referenced Trump’s conviction on 34 felony counts connected to falsified business records in the Stormy Daniels case.
Grande’s political alignment has long leaned Democratic. She supported Kamala Harris during her presidential campaign and previously performed at the White House for then-President Barack Obama in 2014.
Fox News Digital reported reaching out to representatives for Grande for comment following the controversy, but no statement from her team had been released as of publication.
The dispute reflects a broader tension between entertainers and political institutions over the use of popular music in government messaging.
Grande’s demand to cut ties between her art and immigration enforcement imagery underscores her ongoing advocacy for immigrant rights and humanitarian causes.
By Thursday evening, the ICE-focused video had been viewed widely online, drawing both support and criticism from social media users.
While the White House’s statement sought to redirect attention to criminal enforcement, Grande’s reaction placed renewed focus on how music can carry political symbolism beyond the artist’s control.
The removal of the sound suggests the administration may have taken note of her objection even as it stood firm on its messaging about border security.