SZA Slams White House for ‘Evil and Boring’ ICE Post

SZA has joined the growing list of artists condemning the White House for appropriating their music in immigration enforcement adverts, describing the administration’s tactics as “evil and boring.”

The controversy centres around the White House’s use of SZA’s song “Big Boys” in a social media post promoting ICE operations. The track originally appeared in an SNL sketch from December 2022, when SZA served as musical guest alongside host Keke Palmer. The comedic song celebrates how larger men can provide warmth during winter months, but the White House cherry-picked the line “it’s cuffing season” to promote immigration arrests.

The administration’s post featured footage of arrests with the caption “WE HEARD IT’S CUFFING SZN. Bad news for criminal illegal aliens. Great news for America.” This deliberate misappropriation of the song’s innocent context sparked immediate backlash from SZA’s camp.

Terrence “Punch” Henderson, SZA’s former manager, was first to respond on social media platform X, stating: “Trying to provoke artist to respond in order to help spread propaganda and political agendas is nasty business. Knock it off.”

SZA then delivered her own pointed response, writing: “White House rage baiting artists for free promo is PEAK DARK ..inhumanity +shock and aw tactics ..Evil n Boring.”

This incident follows a pattern of similar confrontations between musicians and the Trump administration regarding ICE propaganda. Just last week, Sabrina Carpenter condemned the White House’s use of her song “Juno” in another immigration enforcement video. “This video is evil and disgusting,” Carpenter declared. “Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda.”

Despite Carpenter’s objections, the White House responded by creating another video using her material. Abigail Jackson, a White House spokesperson, issued a defiant statement: “Here’s a Short n’ Sweet message for Sabrina Carpenter: We won’t apologise for deporting dangerous criminal illegal murderers, rapists, and paedophiles from our country. Anyone who would defend these sick monsters must be stupid, or is it slow?”

TLast month, Olivia Rodrigo criticised Trump and the Department of Homeland Security for incorporating “All-American Bitch” into an ICE deportation video. “Don’t ever use my songs to promote your racist, hateful propaganda,” she stated in a now-deleted post.

The Department of Homeland Security’s response to Rodrigo was equally dismissive: “America is grateful all the time for our federal law enforcement officers who keep us safe. We suggest Ms. Rodrigo thank them for their service, not belittle their sacrifice.”