Katy Perry is now one of several musicians expressing outrage at President Trump’s administration for using her song to promote a policy she does not agree with.
The Grammy-winner recently took to X this week to call out President Trump and his team that runs the White House social media accounts, after her song, “Firework,” was used in a video involving an air strike in Iran. She explained that not only did the video not align with her values, but that she also never gave her consent for them to use the single, condemning the administration. The incident sparked mixed reactions, with some fans cheering her on, and other social media users finding she made too big od a deal out of the situation. Read more about it below.
I am deeply appalled and angry to see “Firework” used on the @WhiteHouse TikTok account 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.
I wrote this song to be an anthem of hope, healing, and…
— KATY PERRY (@katyperry) July 25, 2026
Katy Perry Calls Out President Trump & The White House After They Use ‘Firework’ In An Iranian War Video
It’s no secret that so far, for his second term as president, Donald Trump’s social media teams have been taking things to the next level. From AI-generated videos to clips of other political figures in America, both the president and White House’s social media pages have garnered a lot of attention.
Over the last year, many celebrities, primarily musicians, have begun clapping back at the current administration whenever their songs have been used in videos that promote President Trump‘s policies and goals for the country, many of them condemning him from using them further. One of the latest examples is now the “California Girls” singer, after one of her biggest hits was used in a rather violent video shared by the White House.
On the White House TikTok account, they used Katy’s song, “Firework,” behind footage of a missile striking an Iranian ship, with the caption, “Iran has been warned,” on July 23rd. Two days later, on Saturday, Katy responded with an official statement on X.
“I am deeply appalled and angry to see ‘Firework’ used on the @WhiteHouse TikTok account as a backing track for video footage of military strikes,” she began. “I did not approve this, I was not asked, and I absolutely do not condone it. 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 weaponized to soundtrack destruction and violence is a complete violation of everything my song stands for.”
“My music is for bringing people together, not celebrating warfare,” she added.
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Social Media Users React To Katy's Statement
The pop star is certainly not the first artist who has fired back at the current administration for using their music in a way they don't approve of, as some of the latest ones have been other massive artists like Sabrina Carpenter, Ariana Grande, and more.
However, Katy is one of the select few who put out a lengthier statement in opposition to not only the use of her song, but also for the values of the video it was used for. After she shared her post, her song was taken off the TikTok video, and hundreds of social media users had mixed opinions on it.
"The White House has no cool people supporting them," responded an X user.
"MAGA are embarrassed by their own artists, so they have to use pop stars' music," joked another. "I mean, Kid Rock only has so many songs."
"I hope you will sue them into oblivion," suggested a user.
On the other side, some users expressed that she shouldn't have an opinion on the matter, given that she reportedly sold her rights to the song as part of a 2023 catalog deal.
"You sold the rights to your songs lol - cry more," replied a user.
"You sold your catalog and are a product," added another. "So your opinion doesn't matter."
