Grammy-winning pop star Olivia Rodrigo, 23, has slammed the Trump administration for “picking fights with pop stars.”
“I think that’s sort of a little bit of a tool they use,” Rodrigo said on NPR. “Picking fights with pop stars is a great distraction while they do other awful, awful things.”
Trump has targeted Rodrigo herself; in November, the Department of Homeland Security used her 2023 hit “All-American B---h” in a social media video to promote self-deportations among undocumented immigrants with the caption, “LEAVE NOW and self-deport using the CBP Home app. If you don’t, you will face the consequences.”
In a swiftly deleted comment, Rodrigo wrote, “don’t ever use my songs to promote your racist, hateful propaganda.”
Rodrigo has also called the Trump administration “barbaric and cruel” and advocated for immigrants’ rights on social media. In response to her comment, a DHS spokesperson invoked “All-American B---h” lyrics.
“America is grateful all the time for our federal law enforcement officers who keep us safe,” the spokesperson told TMZ. “We suggest Ms. Rodrigo thank them for their service, not belittle their sacrifice.”
The video remains on DHS’ social media, but without the song.
“Oh my God, it was just awful to see a song that I wrote about feeling trapped in a misogynistic box that we put women in—seeing that song being put to these grotesque, cruel scenes of ICE raids,” Rodrigo said. “It was awful.”
Rodrigo is just one of many artists, including Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, and Céline Dion, to speak out after the White House used their songs without permission. The DHS has admitted to using opposition celebrities’ material to draw liberal media backlash and thus “amplify” its messages.
To combat the Trump administration’s actions, Rodrigo spearheaded the Daisy Chain Fields music festival on August 29 in Irvine, California, with a lineup of all-women artists including Stevie Nicks, Sarah McLachlan, Chappell Roan, and Doechii. Every musician performed for free; the festival raised $20 million for 10 organizations supporting women and girls.
“I think that the people who want to keep us down are really relying on us feeling alone and overwhelmed,” she said. “And I think the antidote to that is joy and community.”
