White House posts new edited video of Sabrina Carpenter’s “SNL” promo after deleting earlier “Juno” clip, escalating online tensions.
The White House escalated its online feud with pop star Sabrina Carpenter this week by posting a second pro-ICE video — this time altering audio from one of her recent Saturday Night Live promos.
The move comes just days after the administration deleted an earlier clip that used Carpenter’s hit song “Juno” to soundtrack footage of migrant arrests.
In the original SNL promo, Carpenter joked that she “might need to arrest someone for being too hot,” while standing beside cast member Marcello Hernández.
But in the White House’s edited version, the audio is replaced so that Carpenter appears to say she’s arresting Hernández for being “too illegal.” The Latino comedian then holds out his wrists as if being taken into custody.
The caption on the TikTok and X posts reads: “PSA: If you’re a criminal illegal, you WILL be arrested & deported.” After the modified clip, the video continues with scenes of ICE operations, similar to the previously deleted “Juno” post.
Carpenter has not commented on the latest video, but she strongly condemned the earlier post that used her music without permission. “This video is evil and disgusting,” she wrote. “Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda.”
Following her criticism, the White House responded sharply, with spokesperson Abigail Jackson telling CNN: “We won’t apologize for deporting dangerous criminal illegal murderers, rapists, and pedophiles… Anyone who would defend these sick monsters must be stupid, or is it slow?”
This pattern of remixing pop culture moments into political messaging appears to be an ongoing strategy for the administration’s social media team.
Earlier this month, the White House posted a Trump-glorifying montage set to Taylor Swift’s “The Fate of Ophelia,” which remains online despite backlash from Swift fans.
Carpenter’s team has not yet addressed whether they will take further action regarding the altered SNL promo.
