SZA slams Trump admin for ‘rage baiting artists for free promo’ after White House uses her song 'Big Boy' in ICE video. Watch

SZA has become the latest artist to call out the White House for using her music in a pro-ICE ad, blasting the move as "evil," "boring", and a "rage-bait". The singer responded on X after the White House pulled audio from "Big Boy," the viral song she performed in an SNL sketch in late 2022, for a social media post earlier this week.

White House rage-baiting artists?

On X, the singer accused the White House of "rage baiting artists for free promo," calling it "PEAK DARK ..inhumanity +shock and aw tactics...Evil n Boring".

The White House clip used the song to hype up ICE operations, pairing the track with footage of immigration officers chasing down and arresting people. "We heard it's cuffing szn," the account posted, referencing the song's lyrics. "Bad news for criminal illegal aliens. Great news for America," it added.

SZA's manager, Punch, also weighed in, writing on X that Trump's White House was trying to "provoke" artists into reacting "in order to help spread propaganda". He called the use of music for political agendas as "nasty business" that needed to stop. "Knock it off," he added.

White House flaunts the use of copyrighted music without permission

In a statement to Variety, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson dismissed SZA's angry post and instead mocked the artists saying, "Thank you, SZA, for drawing even more attention to the tremendous work America’s ICE officers are doing by arresting dangerous criminal illegal aliens from American communities."

When White House used Sabrina Carpenter's music to push its "inhumane agenda"

SZA isn't alone in her frustration. Just last week, Sabrina Carpenter condemned the administration for using her hit "Juno" in a montage celebrating ICE raids. On X, the pop star called out the White House for using her music in a video promoting immigration enforcement, saying the clip turned her stomach. She called the video "evil and disgusting," and told the White House to "not ever involve me or my music" to benefit what she called an "inhumane agenda".

Jackson at the time clapped back at Carpenter, saying, "Here’s a Short n’ Sweet message for Sabrina Carpenter: we won’t apologise for deporting dangerous, criminal, illegal murderers, rapists, and paedophiles from our country." She added, “Anyone who would defend these sick monsters must be stupid, or is it slow?” However, following backlash, the White House deleted the Carpenter post — but then uploaded a second clip using SNL footage of Carpenter, editing the audio to make it sound like she was calling cast member Marcello Hernández "illegal" rather than "hot."