The Department of Homeland Security has been using memes and shitposts to promote its Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, including imagery and music from series like Halo and Pokémon to create disgusting viral videos promoting the capture and deportation of people of color. Pokémon said it wasn’t involved in the September video’s creation, but neither company disavowed the use of its IP to promote state-sanctioned violence. Whoever runs Xbox and The Pokémon Company’s social media accounts and public relations could learn a little bit from pop star Sabrina Carpenter, who did more to shame the Trump Administration’s “inhumane agenda” than either of those huge franchises with a single post.
On Monday, December 1, the White House posted a video of ICE agents arresting people set to Carpenter’s sexy single “Juno.” The song has a line in which the singer asks her partner if he’s “ever tried ‘this one,’” referencing a sexual position. When Carpenter performed this song on the Short n’ Sweet Tour, she would imitate a position on stage that became a viral tour moment, as she rarely did the same position twice. Unfortunately, virality means that the worst people you know become aware of something and co-opt it to make shitty videos in which the “positions” in question are various ways ICE agents pin people down and arrest them.
Carpenter, to her credit, has responded to the video and has, in no uncertain terms, told the Trump Administration to keep her songs out of their fuckin’ mouth.
this video is evil and disgusting. Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda.
— Sabrina Carpenter (@SabrinaAnnLynn) December 2, 2025
The Trump Administration, as it often does, responded with a shitpost that whitewashes the reality of its actions. The statement, issued to Zeteo, mixes in references to Carpenter’s music (he a fan) and says it’s only deporting “illegal murderers, rapists, and pedophiles.” This ignores the fact that non-criminal ICE arrests have skyrocketed under the Trump Administration.
“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,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said in the statement. “Anyone who would defend these sick monsters must be stupid, or is it slow?”
Carpenter doesn’t make any mention of legal action, though her fans are urging the singer to file a copyright strike against The White House. It’s that easy, Master Chief. Pikachu, I know you can say more than your name, so I don’t know what your excuse is beyond trying to avoid further controversy. That shit is embarrassing. Anyway, stream Man’s Best Friend and Short n’ Sweet on your favorite music service.
