Pop singer Ariana Grande has issued a furious response demanding President Donald Trump's official campaign TikTok account stop using her music in its videos.
The 33-year-old musician spoke out after Team Trump posted a video on Thursday that soundtracked her 2024 single We Can't Be Friends (Wait for Your Love). The clip, which has gathered more than 357,000 views, played the track over footage of Trump at his October 27, 2024 rally at New York City's Madison Square Garden.
Playing on Grande's lyrics, Team Trump used the post to address the ongoing debate around transgender people in the United States, including the administration's opposition to transgender women competing in women's sports. Onscreen text read, "Me and my truth we sit in silence.. men can't have babies and should never compete in women's sports." In the caption, Team Trump added, "This shouldn't be controversial #trump #arianagrande #maga."
Grande eventually got wind of the TikTok and took to the comment section to condemn the use of her music in Trump-related videos. "Never use my music again," she ordered in a five-word response, before addressing the post's messaging. "Also, your truth is false."
Record Label Action and Campaign Response
A source linked to the Grammy-winning singer told the Daily Mail that her label Republic Records is working to remove the song from the Team Trump post.
Meanwhile, sources close to Trump noted that Thursday's video featuring Grande's music was not posted by the White House nor by the president himself. Team Trump, which is considered the official TikTok page for the Trump Campaign and has 14 million followers, is run by the president's social media team.
The Daily Mail has reached out to representatives for both Grande and the White House for further comment on the story.
Reactions to Team Trump's post were divided as supporters of both Grande and Trump made their thoughts known in the comment section. One wrote, "Mama dragging him again," while another said they were "so excited to see Ariana's comment." Another Grande supporter said she really hopes the singer seeks legal action over the use of her track, while one user wrote, "Here before Ariana removes the sound."
Supporters of the president also defended the post. One commenter wrote, "Legit don't understand how liberals don't understand this," while another said, "Idk why everybody mad as if this isn't the truth." A third wrote, "EARLY FOR THE BEST PREZ EVERRRR."
Previous Clash Over Immigration Video
The latest dispute came just more than two months after Grande was critical of the White House after it used her 2024 track Bye in the background of a TikTok clip showcasing arrests made by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
"Please do not ever use my music in relation to this barbaric, inhumane, heinous nonsense," she wrote in a comment on the platform in June. She further clarified her thoughts on the agency, writing, "Fck ice."
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson issued a statement repurposing Grande's words to illustrate what she said was the objective of the ICE arrests seen in the clip. "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," Jackson said, according to Reuters.
Political Advocacy and Background
Grande has in the past been clear about her political leanings, having thrown her support behind Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris during the 2024 election cycle.
Following Harris' defeat in November of 2024, Grande wrote in an Instagram post that she was "holding the hand of every person who is feeling the immeasurable heaviness of this outcome today," adding links to resources for people in the LGBTQ+ community.
The entertainer also took the stage for former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama during a 2014 event titled In Performance at the White House: Women of Soul. Grande has also donated to causes including the Protect & Defend Trans Youth Fund and Planned Parenthood.
