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Pop singer Sabrina Carpenter And The publisher of beloved Canadian children's character Franklin the Turtle is condemning the Trump administration's use of their music and images to support its agenda.
Response to use of her song Juno In a video montage depicting raids by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Carpenter tweeted Tuesday: “This video is evil and disgusting. Never involve me or my music in your inhumane plans.”
In the caption for the clip, the White House quoted Carpenter as saying, “Have you ever tried this? Bye bye”.
On Monday, Canadian publisher Kids Can Press, owned by Franklin the Turtle. similarly condemned the post of US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.. The image, published on X, was a doctored image of Franklin aiming a bazooka at boats. Hegseth posted the image with the caption, “Franklin targets narco-terrorists.”
In a statement to CBC News earlier this week, a spokesperson for Kids Can Press said they condemned the use of Franklin's image.
This video is evil and disgusting. Never involve me or my music in your inhuman plans.
“Franklin the Turtle is a beloved Canadian icon who has inspired generations of children and stands for kindness, empathy and inclusivity,” the spokesperson wrote.
“We strongly condemn any defamatory, violent or unauthorized use of Franklin’s name or image that directly contradicts these values.”
In a statement to US media outlets including CBS and Axios, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said: “We doubt Franklin the Turtle wants to include drug cartels… or praise the kindness and compassion of narco-terrorists.”
The Trump administration has carried out several strikes in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific Ocean against small vessels accused of smuggling drugs into the region. Since the beginning of September, more than 80 people have died as a result of such strikes.
There is a long list of performers and entertainers who have objected to the Trump administration's use of their songs and copyrighted material, including Abba, Bruce Springsteen, Olivia Rodrigo, Rihanna, Phil Collins, Pharrell, John Fogerty, Semisonic, Neil Young, Eddie Grant, Panic! at the Disco, REM, Guns N' Roses, Celine Dion, Beyoncé and Adele.
