Full Breakdown
White House’s TikTok Music Dispute with Katy Perry
7/30/2026, 8:53:22 PM
Core Event
In late July 2026 the White House’s TikTok account posted a nine-second video that paired Katy Perry’s 2010 hit “Firework” with grainy footage of U.S. strikes on Iranian targets. The caption read “Iran has been warned” and the audio synced the lyric “boom, boom, boom” with the explosions.
The following Monday the White House posted a second TikTok video, splicing clips from Perry’s 2012 music video for “Part of Me” with images of President Donald Trump, fighter jets and U.S. service members. The post was captioned “Now look at me,” a lyric from the song, and was shared by Trump aide Kaelan Dorr, who tagged Perry with a waving hand emoji and the question “This you?”
Background & Context
The dispute follows a pattern of the Trump administration using popular music in official social-media posts without artists’ consent. Earlier in 2025 Ariana Grande objected to the use of her song “Bye” in a video about immigration enforcement, and Kesha condemned a TikTok that paired her 2011 track “Blow” with a missile launch.
In September 2023 Perry sold the publishing and master-recording rights to five of her albums—including “Teenage Dream,” which contains “Firework”—to Litmus Music for a reported $225 million. The deal transferred most control over licensing, though the extent of her remaining approval rights remains unclear.
Official Statements & Responses
- Kaelan Dorr, deputy assistant to the President and deputy communications director, replied with the “Part of Me” montage and the brief caption “This you?”
Criticism & Opposition
Other musicians have rebuked the practice. Sabrina Carpenter called the use of her song “Juno” in an immigration-policy video “evil and disgusting,” while Kesha described the pairing of her music with war imagery as “disgusting and inhumane.”
Data & Statistics
- The original “Firework” TikTok amassed roughly 7.5 million views; the follow-up “Part of Me” video has drawn over 700 000 views.
- Perry’s statement on X was viewed about 25 million times and received more than 260 000 likes.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on whether the “Firework” audio remains available on the original TikTok post; some note the sound has been removed with a “This sound isn’t available” notice, while others simply state the audio was taken down. The precise legal scope of Perry’s control after the 2023 catalog sale is not detailed in any source.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I am deeply appalled and angry to see ‘Firework’ used on the @WhiteHouse TikTok account as a backing track for video footage of military strikes,” — Katy Perry
- “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
- “Trying to make light of war is disgusting and inhumane,” — Kesha
- “Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda.” — Sabrina Carpenter
What's Next
No further actions have been announced by the White House or Perry’s representatives. The TikTok videos remain online with the “Firework” audio removed, and the dispute continues to be discussed on social media.
