Ariana Grande fired back at the White House after it used her own song titles to mock her criticism of the Trump administration.
Grande, 31, reshared a post to her Instagram on Sunday night from activist and makeup artist Matt Bernstein that slammed the administration’s immigration raids, anti-transgender rhetoric, and threats to free speech. Bernstein’s post asked Trump supporters: “It’s been 250 days. Now that immigrants have been violently torn from their families and communities have been destroyed, now that trans people have been blamed for virtually everything and live in fear, now that free speech is on the brink of collapse for us all — has your life gotten better?”
The White House did not stay silent. Deputy Press Secretary Kush Desai issued a statement to multiple outlets that weaponized Grande’s own discography against her.
“Save your tears, Ariana. Because President Trump’s actions ended Joe Biden’s inflation crisis and are bringing in trillions in new investment,” Desai said. “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!”
The “Wicked” star did not immediately respond to requests for comment after the White House’s clapback.
This exchange marks the latest collision between Grande and the Trump administration. Earlier this year, Grande objected after the White House used her 2024 song “Bye” in a TikTok video featuring footage of federal agents detaining and handcuffing individuals during immigration enforcement operations. She wrote that her music should not be linked to what she called “this barbaric, inhumane, heinous nonsense.” A source close to the singer said her team explored options to have the track removed from the video.
The administration’s use of popular music in social media content has triggered a wave of objections from major artists. Sabrina Carpenter spoke out after “Juno” soundtracked arrest footage, telling the administration not to involve her or her music in what she described as “your inhumane agenda.” Katy Perry condemned the White House for using “Firework” in a TikTok montage of military strike footage titled “Iran has been warned,” calling it “a complete violation of everything my song stands for.” The White House removed “Firework” but then posted a new TikTok using another Perry song, “Part of Me,” splicing in footage from that track’s military-themed music video alongside images of Trump and fighter jets.
In the viral moment that started this broader conflict, the White House’s TikTok account posted immigration enforcement footage set to Grande’s “Bye” without authorization. Grande responded directly to the post with her condemnation of the administration’s actions as “barbaric, inhumane, heinous nonsense,” making clear she wanted no association between her work and the policies being promoted.
Grande supported Democratic nominee Kamala Harris during the 2024 presidential election and has been an outspoken critic of Trump’s immigration and social policies. The “7 Rings” singer previously performed at the White House in 2014 for President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama at the “Women of Soul” event, a stark contrast to her current adversarial relationship with the residence’s occupants.
The White House has shown little hesitation in attacking celebrities who criticize the president. In May, Trump posted on social media about Taylor Swift, who had endorsed Harris, writing: “Has anyone noticed that, since I said ‘I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT,’ she’s no longer ‘HOT?'” He also called Bruce Springsteen “Highly Overrated” after the rock legend spoke out against him at a concert in England.
Desai’s reference to Ticketmaster in his statement pointed to a recent FTC lawsuit against Live Nation and Ticketmaster that claims the entities misled consumers about resale ticket prices. The suit came a month after the FTC sued a ticket resale company alleging illegal methods to secure tickets for popular concerts including Taylor Swift’s “Eras” tour.
Grande has not posted any further response to the White House’s statement on her Instagram or other platforms as of Monday.