Full Breakdown
Katy Perry Condemns White House TikTok Using “Firework” to Soundtrack Iran Strikes
7/26/2026, 11:13:28 AM
The TikTok Controversy
On July 23 the White House’s official TikTok account posted a nine-second video that paired unclassified footage of U.S. missiles hitting port targets in Iran with Katy Perry’s 2010 hit “Firework.” The caption read “Iran has been warned,” and the lyric “boom boom boom” was highlighted.
Background and Ongoing Military Action
The video coincided with the U.S. military’s 13th consecutive night of strikes against Iran, which U.S. The campaign continues despite a narrowly divided House vote (214-208) to end the war and a Senate vote (49-47) that supported the president’s position.
Official Statements & Responses
Deputy Assistant to President Donald Trump, Kaelan Dorr, replied to Perry’s post by sharing a clip of her 2012 song “Part of Me,” captioned “This you?” President Trump, speaking at an EPA event, said, “We want to get it over with, and we want to do it right, but we have to … do what we came to do.”
Artist Opposition
Perry joins a growing list of musicians objecting to the administration’s use of their work. Ariana Grande publicly demanded removal of her 2024 song “Bye” after it appeared in a June 9 TikTok depicting federal agents arresting people. Reuters and The Guardian reported that the audio and Grande’s comment were later removed. Kesha, Olivia Rodrigo and Sabrina Carpenter have similarly condemned unauthorized uses of their songs for White House videos.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We want to get it over with, and we want to do it right, but we have to … do what we came to do,” — President Trump, assistant to president
- “I wrote this song to be an anthem of hope, healing, and inner strength for people going through their darkest personal moments,” — Katy Perry
