Olivia Rodrigo has criticized Donald Trump for what she sees as an attempt to distract from his administration’s actions by publicly clashing with pop stars. In a new NPR interview, the Grammy-winning singer addressed the use of one of her songs in a Department of Homeland Security video featuring ICE agents, calling the pairing “awful” and “grotesque.”
Rodrigo was asked about her reaction after learning that her music had been used as the soundtrack to footage of ICE raids. The singer said the experience was particularly disturbing because of the meaning behind the song, which she described as being about “feeling trapped in a misogynistic box.”
“It was just awful to see a song that I wrote about feeling trapped in a misogynistic box being put to these grotesque, cruel scenes of ICE raids,” Olivia Rodrigo told NPR. She then connected the incident to what she believes is a broader strategy from the Trump administration.
“I think that’s a little bit of a tool they use,” she continued. “Picking fights with pop stars is a great distraction.”
Olivia Rodrigo has been vocal about immigration enforcement and the administration’s policies throughout 2026. On January 24, she shared a series of Instagram Stories supporting protesters in Minnesota and condemning ICE’s actions following the fatal shooting of 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Jeffrey Pretti during a federal immigration operation in Minneapolis.
At the time, Rodrigo urged her followers to contact their senators and oppose additional federal funding for ICE, ending one of her posts with the message, “I stand with Minnesota.” Her latest comments show that her concerns have extended beyond immigration policy itself to the way government agencies use popular culture and music in political messaging.
Rodrigo’s criticism comes amid a growing number of disputes between musicians and Trump-related accounts or government agencies over the use of their work. On August 20, Ariana Grande responded after a Trump campaign TikTok paired her 2024 hit “we can’t be friends (wait for your love)” with an anti-trans message.
“Never use my music again. Also, your truth is false,” Grande wrote in the comments. The video featured footage of Trump at a rally alongside the song and a political statement about transgender people and women’s sports.
Other major artists have faced similar situations. Katy Perry criticized the White House after “Firework” was used alongside footage of U.S. military strikes, while SZA, Sabrina Carpenter and Rodrigo have all objected to government-related uses of their music in politically charged content.
Taylor Swift has also been drawn into the wider conversation, with several songs reportedly muted in TikTok videos posted by the Trump campaign after copyright restrictions took effect.
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