Pop star Ariana Grande has issued a sharp rebuke to President Donald Trump's campaign after it used one of her songs without permission in a social media post, the latest in a series of confrontations between the 33-year-old artist and the administration.
The Trump campaign's TikTok account posted a video on Thursday, August 20, featuring Grande's 2024 song "We Can't Be Friends" alongside a message about transgender athletes. The post included onscreen text stating "Men can't have babies and should never compete in women's sports" and carried the caption "This shouldn't be controversial! #trump #arianagrande #maga."
The video incorporated lyrics from Grande's track, displaying the words "Me and my truth we sit in silence..." over footage of the president.
Grande responded directly on the post, writing "Never use my music again. Also, your truth is false," according to Us Weekly. The audio has since been removed from the video, which now displays a message indicating the sound is unavailable.
This marks the second time in recent months that Grande has objected to the administration's use of her music. In June, the White House posted a video promoting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement that featured her song "Bye." The post carried the caption "Bye-bye 👋 President Trump has delivered the most secure border in history."
Grande commented on that post as well, writing "Please do not ever use ‌my music in relation to this barbaric, inhumane, heinous ‌nonsense. Fck ice," according to Us Weekly. The audio was subsequently removed from that video as well.
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson responded to Grande's June criticism with a statement to Us Weekly, 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."
The tension between Grande and the Trump administration extends beyond music usage. In September 2025, the singer reshared an Instagram post from influencer Matt Bernstein that questioned whether Trump supporters had seen improvements in their daily lives since the 2024 election.
The post asked whether groceries had become cheaper, health insurance premiums had decreased, or work-life balance had improved, stating "It's been 250 days" and referencing the impact on immigrant families and transgender individuals.
White House spokesperson Kush Desai responded to that incident with a statement to multiple outlets, saying "Save your tears, Ariana, because President Trump's actions ended Joe Biden's inflation crisis and are bringing in trillions in new investments. 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!"
Grande joins a growing list of artists who have objected to the Trump administration's use of their music in official communications and campaign materials. The repeated removal of audio from administration posts suggests ongoing challenges in securing proper licensing for copyrighted material.
About the Author
Ava Hart
Ava Hart is a pop culture junkie and loves to share what's happening in Hollywood and what trends are taking the world by storm.
