After Sabrina Carpenter called out the Trump Administration for using one of her songs to promote ICE arrests, the White House quietly removed the video — then returned with a new clip using her likeness instead.
Following her viral response, the original video was deleted from the White House’s X account on Friday, Dec. 5. In its place, officials posted a new edit on TikTok and X featuring a doctored promo for the 26-year-old pop star’s October Saturday Night Live episode with cast member Marcello Hernández.
The new video repurposes footage of the “Espresso” singer and Hernández, 28, teasing her SNL appearance and plays off her Short n’ Sweet tour tradition of “arresting” celebrities in the crowd. In the altered version, her word “hot” is changed to “illegal.”
“I think I might need to arrest someone for being too illegal [hot],” Carpenter says in the edited clip, as Hernández responds, “Well, I turn myself in.”
“You’re under arrest—” she begins, before the video abruptly cuts to a montage of immigration and customs enforcement officers detaining people.
“PSA: If you’re a criminal illegal, you WILL be arrested & deported. ✨,” the White House wrote in the caption, this time setting the clip to a remix of Rihanna’s “S&M” and “I Get the Bag” by Gucci Mane featuring Migos.
Representatives for Carpenter and Hernández did not respond to a request for comment on Sunday, Dec. 6.
The first video that drew Carpenter’s attention had been posted on Monday, Dec. 1. That since-deleted compilation showed immigration officers detaining people while a lyric from her song “Juno” — “Have you ever tried this one?” — played on a loop.
The caption on that post read, “Have you ever tried this one? Bye-bye 👋😍.”
The “Manchild” singer quote-posted the video in a response that has since racked up 1.8 million likes and more than 160 million views on X.
“This video is evil and disgusting,” Carpenter wrote. “Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda.”
Abigail Jackson, a White House spokesperson, later responded to Carpenter’s criticism in a statement released on Dec. 2.
“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,” Jackson said. “Anyone who would defend these sick monsters must be stupid, or is it slow?”
Carpenter now joins a long list of musicians who have publicly objected to the Trump Administration’s use of their songs in political or promotional content.
Other artists who have voiced similar frustrations include Olivia Rodrigo, Jack White, Céline Dion, Bruce Springsteen, Linkin Park, R.E.M. and Neil Young.
