Bold stance: Sabrina Carpenter and the Franklin the Turtle publisher push back against the Trump administration’s use of their work to promote its agenda.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Pop star Sabrina Carpenter and the publisher behind the classic children’s character Franklin the Turtle have publicly rejected the Trump administration’s appropriation of their music and imagery to bolster its political messaging.
Carpenter responded to the use of her song “Juno” in a video montage depicting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids by posting, on social media, that the clip is “evil and disgusting. Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda.” The administration had included Carpenter’s lyrics in the clip’s caption with the line, “Have you ever tried this one? Bye-bye.”
Meanwhile, Kids Can Press, the publisher of Franklin the Turtle, condemned a post by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on X that circulated a manipulated image showing Franklin aiming a bazooka at boats. The post carried the caption “Franklin Targets Narco Terrorists.”
The publisher stated that it “strongly condemns any denigrating, violent, or unauthorized use of Franklin’s name or image, which directly contradicts these values,” and echoed the sentiment in a public message.
The Trump administration has carried out multiple strikes in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean on small boats accused of transporting drugs. Since early September, more than 80 people have died as a result of these operations.
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There is a long history of performers and artists objecting to the use of their songs and copyright material by the Trump campaign, including ABBA, Bruce Springsteen, Olivia Rodrigo, Rihanna, Phil Collins, Pharrell, John Fogerty, Semisonic, Neil Young, Eddy Grant, Panic! at the Disco, R.E.M., Guns N’ Roses, Céline Dion, Beyoncé, and Adele.
