Semisonic blasts Trump administration’s ‘Closing Time’ deportation video


0


The band Semisonic made clear Monday that it did not “authorize or condone” a White House video using their song “Closing Time.”

The official White House and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) X accounts posted the video showing deportations to the famed ’90s song, with the White House featuring the lyrics, “You don’t have to go home but you can’t stay here.” 

“It’s closing time. We are making America safe again,” CBP said in its repost.

A screenshot of a deportation video next to the band Semisonic

Semisonic said that the White House did not ask for their permission to use their song “Closing Time.” (White House | Photo by Frank Micelotta/Getty Images)

‘GOD BLESS THE USA’ SINGER LEE GREENWOOD SAYS IT’S A ‘PRIVILEGE’ TO PERFORM HIS HIT SONG FOR TRUMP

In a statement posted hours later, Semisonic said that the band did not approve of the video and that the Trump administration had “missed the point” of the song.

“We did not authorize or condone the White House’s use of our song ‘Closing Time’ in any way. And no, they didn’t ask. The song is about joy and possibilities and hope, and they have missed the point entirely,” Semisonic wrote on X.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt explained the video during Monday’s press briefing, saying it “sums up our immigration policy pretty well: You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here.”

“The White House and our entire government clearly is leaning into the message of this president and we are unafraid to double down and to take responsibility and ownership of the serious decisions that are being made,” Leavitt said. “The president was elected with an overwhelming mandate to launch the largest mass deportation campaign in American history. And that’s exactly what he is doing.”

KID ROCK DEFENDS TRUMP’S MUSIC TASTE AS ‘FREAKIN’ THE BEST’ AFTER MEDIA BACKLASH

White House deportation video images

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the video, saying it “sums up” the Trump administration’s immigration policy. (Getty/White House)

Semisonic joins a lengthy list of famous bands and musicians, including Foo Fighters, Celine Dion, Beyoncé and ABBA, who have complained about President Donald Trump using their songs during campaign or White House events.

One notable exception is the Village People. After previously insisting Trump stop using their songs “Y.M.C.A.” and “Macho Man,” the band’s founding member Victor Willis changed his mind in 2024 after complimenting Trump for “bringing so much joy to the American people” with his songs. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Fox News’ Peter Pinedo contributed to this report.


Don’t miss the Buzz!

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

🤞 Don’t miss the Buzz!

We don’t spam! Read more in our privacy policy


Like it? Share with your friends!

0

What's Your Reaction?

hate hate
0
hate
confused confused
0
confused
fail fail
0
fail
fun fun
0
fun
geeky geeky
0
geeky
love love
0
love
lol lol
0
lol
omg omg
0
omg
win win
0
win

0 Comments

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Choose A Format
Personality quiz
Series of questions that intends to reveal something about the personality
Trivia quiz
Series of questions with right and wrong answers that intends to check knowledge
Poll
Voting to make decisions or determine opinions
Story
Formatted Text with Embeds and Visuals
List
The Classic Internet Listicles
Countdown
The Classic Internet Countdowns
Open List
Submit your own item and vote up for the best submission
Ranked List
Upvote or downvote to decide the best list item
Meme
Upload your own images to make custom memes
Video
Youtube and Vimeo Embeds
Audio
Soundcloud or Mixcloud Embeds
Image
Photo or GIF
Gif
GIF format