White House uses anti-Trump artist Bad Bunny's song in ICE video
Translated from Dutch, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
At a glance
- The White House used a song by Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny in a video promoting ICE's anti-illegal immigration activities.
- Bad Bunny is a vocal critic of President Donald Trump's immigration policies and has previously spoken out against ICE.
- The song's lyrics were altered in the video to praise President Trump, a move that has drawn criticism from the singer's fans.
The White House has drawn criticism for using a song by prominent Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny in a promotional video for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations. Bad Bunny, known for his outspoken opposition to President Donald Trump's immigration policies, had his track 'La MuDANZA' featured in a video shared on social media platforms like TikTok.
The use of the song is particularly striking given Bad Bunny's history of criticizing ICE and Trump's administration. He famously chanted "ICE out" during the Grammy Awards and has expressed concerns about potential ICE operations during his tours. His performance at the Super Bowl halftime show also carried a political message that drew sharp criticism from Trump.
In the White House video, lyrics from 'La MuDANZA,' which touch upon themes of returning to Puerto Rico, were notably altered. The line "Applause for mom and dad, because they really made it happen" was changed to "Applause for Donald J. Trump, because he really made it happen." This modification has been met with strong disapproval from the singer's fanbase, who have labeled the decision "unacceptable," "ridiculous," and a "provocation."
While the music has since been removed from the video, it remains unclear whether this action was taken following a complaint from the artist himself. Bad Bunny has not yet publicly commented on the matter.
Originally published by VRT NWS in Dutch. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.