Katy Perry slams Donald Trump administration over use of Firework
Katy Perry is "deeply appalled and angry" after President Donald Trump used her song Firework to accompany footage of US strikes on Iran in a TikTok video.
Katy Perry is "deeply appalled and angry" after President Donald Trump used her song Firework to accompany footage of US strikes on Iran.
The 41-year-old singer has blasted the White House over a TikTok video shared earlier this week which teamed clips of military action with her 2010 single and stressed that she hadn't been consulted about the use of the track.
She wrote on X: “I am deeply appalled and angry to see ‘Firework’ used on the White House TikTok as a backing track for video footage of military strikes.
“I did not approve this, I was not asked, and I absolutely do not condone it."
Katy expressed her frustration that a song designed to promote "self-worth and upliftment" had been used on such a clip, which had been captioned: “Iran has been warned.”
She concluded: “I wrote this song to be an anthem of hope, healing, and inner strength for people going through their darkest personal moments.
"To see a message of self-worth and upliftment weaponised to soundtrack destruction and violence is a complete violation of everything my song stands for.”
Katy previously performed the song outside the Lincoln Memorial during the televised event marking Joe Biden's inauguration in January 2021.
The Dark Horse hitmaker is the latest in a string of stars to condemn the Trump administration for using their music in social media posts.
Last month, Ariana Grande hit out after her song Bye was used as the soundtrack to a TikTok video which promoted US immigration arrests with footage of ICE agents detaining and handcuffing people.
The caption read: “Bye‑bye. President Trump has delivered the most secure border in history.”
Ariana fired back in a now‑deleted comment, writing: “Please do not ever use my music in relation to this barbaric, inhumane, heinous nonsense. F*** ICE.”
Her team later confirmed to Variety that the comment was genuine, though it no longer appears publicly.
The TikTok’s audio has since been muted, with the platform now displaying: “This sound isn’t available.”
A White House spokesperson defended the video, saying: “What’s actually barbaric, inhumane, and heinous are the criminal illegal aliens who have injured and murdered innocent American citizens.”
In addition, Kesha complained after Blow was used in a military video, Sabrina Carpenter objected to an "evil and disgusting" ICE video featuring Juno, and Olivia Rodrigo condemned the White House for using her music to promote “racist, hateful propaganda”.
