Olivia Rodrigo is criticizing the Donald Trump administration for its tendency to engage in disputes with well-known musicians, stating in a recent interview with NPR that she believes it serves as a “distraction” tactic.
During her conversation with the independent media organization on Thursday (Sept. 3), the singer discussed the incident when the Department of Homeland Security paired her song “All-American Bitch” with a video promoting immigration enforcement raids occurring nationwide in November. At that time, Rodrigo remarked on the White House and DHS’ post, “don’t ever use my songs to promote your racist, hateful propaganda.”
Now, she has further reflections on the incident. “Ugh, my god,” she expressed on air. “It was just so awful to see a song that I wrote about being trapped in a misogynistic box that we put women in … being put to these grotesque, cruel scenes of ICE raids.”
“Looking back at it now, I think that’s sort of a tool they use,” she continued regarding the Trump administration. “Picking fights with pop stars is a great distraction while they do other awful, awful things.”
When contacted for comment on Thursday, the DHS told Billboard, “America is grateful all the time for our federal law enforcement officers who keep us safe” and suggested that “Ms. Rodrigo thank them for their service, not belittle their sacrifice,” echoing a similar response it provided Billboard in March after another instance of the singer criticizing ICE.
Rodrigo isn’t the first celebrity to imply that the true reason for the conservative administration’s ongoing use of music by famously liberal artists like Sabrina Carpenter and Ariana Grande—who then publicly respond with denouncements—is to divert attention. After the White House used her song “Big Boy” in a clip, SZA tweeted, “White House rage baiting artists for free promo is PEAK DARK.”
The DHS itself has also acknowledged engaging in disputes with celebrities for such purposes. “We made this video because we knew fake news media brands … would breathlessly amplify them,” an official told Variety in November after fans protested the use of Taylor Swift’s “The Fate of Ophelia” in a TikTok video. “Congrats, you got played.”
Rodrigo’s discussion with NPR follows just five days after her inaugural Daisy Chain Fields festival, which raised $20 million—half of which was contributed by Melinda French Gates, who doubled the initial donation—for charities supporting women and girls. On Thursday, the Grammy winner also appeared on the digital cover of Rolling Stone alongside Chappell Roan, Doechii, and Sarah McLachlan, all of whom were part of the Daisy Chain lineup.
“I think that the people who want to keep us down rely on us feeling overwhelmed and alone,” Rodrigo shared with the publication regarding the festival’s purpose. “So I think an event where we can cultivate this community that’s full of hope and togetherness is a really, really powerful thing these days.”
