The band Semmonic made it clear on Monday that it did not use their song “Closing Ceremony” “Enlegation or Forgiving” White House video.
The White House official and U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer (CBP) X account released a video showing the deportation of a famous 90s song, with the White House lyrics saying “You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here.”
“This is the deadline. We're making the United States safe again,” CBP said in its re-release.
Semisonic said the White House did not ask them to use their song “close time.” (White House
“God Bless America” singer Lee Greenwood said performing his hit songs for Trump was a “privilege”
In a statement released a few hours later, Semisonic said the band disapproved of the video and that the Trump administration “missed the point of view of the song.”
“We have not authorized or tolerated the White House in any way the use of our songs 'closing',” Semisonic wrote on X.
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House to comment.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt explained the video at a press conference Monday and said “It’s great to sum up our immigration policy: You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here.”
“The White House and our entire administration clearly tend toward the president's message, and we are not afraid to redouble our efforts and take responsibility and ownership of the serious decisions being made,” Levitt said. “The president was elected to have an overwhelming mandate to launch the largest mass deportation campaign in U.S. history. That's exactly what he is doing.”
Kid Rock
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the video, saying it “summarizes” the Trump administration's immigration policy. (Getty/White House)
Semisonic joins a long list of famous bands and musicians, including Foo Fighters, Celine Dion, Beyoncé and Abba, who use their songs to complain about President Donald Trump during a campaign or White House event.
A notable exception is the rural people. After previously insisting that Trump stopped using their songs “YMCA” and “Macho Man,” the band’s founding member Victor Willis changed his mind in 2024 after praising Trump for “making so much joy to the American people with his songs.”
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Peter Pinedo of Fox News contributed to the report.
