White House trolls Sabrina Carpenter with altered SNL clip to promote ICE: ‘I might need to arrest someone’

The Trump administration is doubling down after the pop star slammed their use of her song "Juno," calling it "evil."

By Shania Russell

Shania Russell

Shania Russell is a news writer at *, *with five years of experience. Her work has previously appeared in SlashFilm and Paste Magazine.

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December 7, 2025 4:53 p.m. ET

Sabrina Carpenter and Marcello Hernández on 'Saturday Night Live'. Credit:

Rosalind O'Connor/NBC via Getty

Despite Sabrina Carpenter's protests, the White House isn't backing down from using her to promote its ICE agenda.

Days after the Grammy winner slammed the Trump administration for featuring her song "Juno" in a video celebrating mass deportations and migrant arrests, the White House social media account uploaded a second clip, this time altering her recent appearance on *Saturday Night Live.*

Its latest video pulls footage from Carpenter's October ad for the show, doctoring a reference she made to her *Short N' Sweet* concert tradition of "arresting" stars in the crowd for being too attractive.

"I think I might need to arrest someone for being too hot," she joked in the original promo.

Standing next to her,* SNL* cast member Marcello Hernández then quipped, "Oh, well, I turn myself in."

After he held out his arms, waiting to be cuffed, Carpenter cooed, "You're under arrest!"

Marcello Hernández as Domingo and Sabrina Carpenter on 'Saturday Night Live'.

Theo Wargo/NBC via Getty

The new White House video, however, alters the *SNL* promo, dubbing over Carpenter's voice so that she instead says, "I think I might need to arrest someone for being too *illegal*."

The Latino comedian then "turns himself in," and Carpenter says, "You're under arrest."

After their exchange, the video cuts to a montage of immigration and customs enforcement officers chasing, detaining, and arresting people.

Its caption reads, "PSA: If you're a criminal illegal, you WILL be arrested & deported."

Representatives for Carpenter and Hernández did not immediately respond to **'s request for comment.

The previous ICE video, which has since been deleted, also featured ICE officers chasing down, tackling, and arresting people, but it was soundtracked to Carpenter's 2024 single "Juno."

"Have you ever tried this one?" her voice sang on repeat as individuals were slammed to the ground and handcuffed.

Carpenter was not a fan, commenting on the post, "This video is evil and disgusting. Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda."

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A representative for the White House responded to her criticism in a statement to EW: "Here's a Short n' Sweet message for Sabrina Carpenter: We won't apologize for deporting dangerous criminal illegal murderers, rapists, and pedophiles from our country."

Referencing lyrics from Carpenter's 2025 hit "Manchild," the statement continued, "Anyone who would defend these sick monsters must be stupid, or is it slow?"

Sabrina Carpenter; Donald Trump.

Chip Somodevilla/Getty;Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty

Carpenter is not the first pop star whose work has been used to promote Donald Trump and ICE. Most recently, the White House featured the music of Carpenter's friend and collaborator Taylor Swift in a TikTok video celebrating the president, despite his history of bashing the singer on social media. Swift did not respond, and the video is still live, but other artists have been quick to voice their dissent over their songs being used on the administration's social media pages.

Last month, when Olivia Rodrigo's "All American Bitch" was used in a pro-ICE video, she fired back, "Don't ever use my songs to promote your racist, hateful propaganda."

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Before that, in October, Kenny Loggins made headlines for reacting to the unauthorized use of his song "Danger Zone" in an AI-generated video of Trump wearing a crown and flying in a jet labeled "King Trump," with the singer asking for it to be removed.

Numerous artists — including Pharrell, the Smiths' Johnny Marr, Adele, Guns N’ Roses, Aerosmith, Neil Young, Rihanna, Nickelback, Linkin Park, and the Rolling Stones — have also called for the administration to stop playing their music at pro-Trump events.**

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