The White House has used a manipulated clip from Sabrina Carpenter's recent Saturday Night Live appearance in a new pro-ICE deportation video, following the deletion of an earlier post featuring her song 'Juno.' Carpenter previously condemned the initial video as 'evil and disgusting,' urging the administration not to involve her music in their agenda. No response from the singer has been reported regarding the latest clip.
Background
The controversy began earlier this week when the White House posted a social media video promoting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activities, incorporating Carpenter's song 'Juno' from her Short n' Sweet album. The video layered footage of police actions over lyrics like 'Have you ever tried this one?' to depict chases and detentions, aligning with President Donald Trump's promised large-scale deportation program. Carpenter responded on X (formerly Twitter) on December 2, 2025, stating, 'this video is evil and disgusting. Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda.'
The original video was removed from X by December 5, 2025, though a version remained on TikTok at the time of reporting. A White House spokesperson, Abigail Jackson, addressed Carpenter's objections in a statement to Rolling Stone and USA Today: '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?'
New Video Details
On December 6, 2025, the White House shared another video, this time altering a commercial parody from Carpenter's November 2025 SNL episode. In the original sketch, Carpenter jokes with cast member Marcello Hernández, saying, 'I think I might need to arrest someone for being too hot,' leading to a playful arrest scenario tied to her tour performances of 'Juno.' The manipulated version dubs 'illegal' over 'hot,' transitioning to footage of ICE agents detaining individuals. The caption read: 'PSA: If you’re a criminal illegal, you WILL be arrested & deported.'
Carpenter's representative has not commented on the new clip. This incident echoes similar uses of music by artists like Olivia Rodrigo, whose 'All-American Bitch' was featured in a prior ICE video, prompting her to call it 'racist, hateful propaganda.' Other musicians, including MGMT and The Cure, have also requested takedowns of unauthorized uses.