Perry joins Grande, Rodrigo, Beyoncé in objecting to music use
Katy Perry posted a statement on X on Saturday condemning the Trump administration for using her 2010 hit “Firework” as the backing track for a White House TikTok video showing footage of a missile striking an Iranian naval ship.
“I am deeply appalled and angry to see ‘Firework’ used on the White House TikTok account as a backing track for video footage of military strikes,” Perry wrote. “I did not approve this, I was not asked, and I absolutely do not condone it.”
Perry said the song was written as an anthem of “hope, healing, and inner strength” and that using it to accompany military action was “a complete violation of everything my song stands for.”
The White House launched its official TikTok account in August 2025, months into President Donald Trump’s second term. The video, posted Thursday, has accumulated more than 6 million views.
Perry’s objection is the latest in a series of public disputes between the Trump administration and musicians whose work has been used in official social media posts without authorization. Olivia Rodrigo criticized the administration after one of her songs appeared in a government video promoting deportation efforts. Beyoncé blocked Trump from using her song “Freedom” after it was featured in a campaign video; the track had served as the central campaign song for former Vice President Kamala Harris.
Kesha condemned the White House’s use of her song “Blow” in a military-promotional TikTok video in March, calling it a “show of blatant disregard for human life.” Sabrina Carpenter spoke out after her song “Juno” was used in a post showing Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers making arrests, calling the video “evil and disgusting” and saying she did not want her music associated with an “inhumane agenda.” Ariana Grande rebuked the administration in June for using her song “Bye” in a post promoting immigration arrests, describing the video as “barbaric.” Singer Jess Glynne also objected after the White House used her song “Hold My Hand” in a post on X promoting deportations, saying she felt “sick” that her music was being used to spread “division and hate.”
The military strikes shown in the White House video are part of the ongoing U.S. conflict with Iran. The Defense Casualty Analysis System lists 14 U.S. service members killed and 420 wounded in the conflict. Those figures have been subject to controversy due to a sudden drop from 18 deaths and 482 wounded recorded days earlier, according to the DCAS data.
The collapse of a ceasefire with Iran and the resumption of near-daily airstrikes starting July 6 have sparked debate over how casualties are counted. The Trump administration is attempting to have the latest strikes treated as a separate campaign from Operation Epic Fury, the U.S. military’s official name for the Iran conflict, a move that would create a separate casualty count beginning July 7.
Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, wrote on X that the Pentagon was “pretending there have been two Iran wars separated by a brief cease-fire” and that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was “BREAKING THE LAW and must be held accountable” by continuing the conflict beyond 90 days without congressional authorization.