White House TikTok Posts Feature Katy Perry Songs Amid Growing Artist Backlash

The White House posted a TikTok video that spliced footage from Katy Perry’s “Part of Me” music video—showing the singer in a soldier’s uniform—with clips of military strikes and President Donald Trump. The caption read, “Now look at me ?,” echoing lyrics from Perry’s 2012 hit “Firework.” The post, shared on a Monday evening, has drawn more than 700,000 views, far fewer than the earlier TikTok that paired “Firework” with similar strike footage and amassed roughly 7.5 million views since its weekend debut.

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Perry’s objection follows a pattern of musicians publicly condemning the administration’s use of their work without permission. In June, Ariana Grande denounced a White House TikTok that paired her song “Bye” with images of deportations, calling the practice “barbaric, inhumane, heinous nonsense.” Other artists—including Kesha, SZA, and Olivia Rodrigo—have similarly criticized the Trump administration for appropriating their music.

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The White House’s TikTok caption, “Now look at me ?,” directly references Perry’s lyric and frames the military footage as a patriotic showcase. No formal response from the administration was recorded in the sources.

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Katy Perry posted on X, stating she was “deeply appalled and angry” that “Firework” was used as a backing track for footage of military strikes, emphasizing that she was not asked for permission and that the song’s message of self-worth should not be weaponized. Sabrina Carpenter also condemned the administration for using her song “Juno” in a deportation-related post, describing the video as “evil and disgusting” and urging that her music not be linked to the administration’s agenda.

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• The “Firework” TikTok accumulated roughly 7.5 million views.

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• The “Part of Me” TikTok has surpassed 700,000 views.

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• Perry’s X statement was viewed about 25 million times and received more than 260,000 likes.

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• Carpenter’s condemnation tweet garnered approximately 1.7 million likes.

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• “To see a message of self-worth and upliftment weaponized to soundtrack destruction and violence is a complete violation of everything my song stands for,” — Katy Perry — Katy Perry, pop singer.

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