Pop star Sabrina Carpenter and the owner of the popular Canadian children’s character Franklin the turtle have rejected the Trump administration’s use of their music and images to promote its policies.
Sabrina Carpenter expressed her disapproval of the administration using her song “Juno” in a video showing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids. She took to Twitter to denounce the video, calling it “evil and disgusting,” and emphasized that her music should not be associated with such inhumane actions.
Similarly, Kids Can Press, the Canadian publisher of Franklin the turtle, condemned a post by U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that featured a manipulated image of Franklin holding a bazooka. The publisher stated that such use of Franklin’s image goes against the character’s values of kindness, empathy, and inclusivity.
In response to the controversy, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell remarked that Franklin the turtle would not want to be associated with drug cartels or violence, highlighting the mismatch between the character’s values and the context in which his image was used.
The Trump administration has faced criticism from numerous artists and performers, including Abba, Bruce Springsteen, Rihanna, and Beyoncé, for using their music without permission. This latest backlash adds Carpenter and Kids Can Press to the growing list of voices opposing the administration’s unauthorized use of copyrighted material.
The administration’s actions in conducting strikes in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean have resulted in casualties, further fueling the debate over the appropriateness of using music and imagery without consent for political purposes.