Zara Larsson Blasts Trump’s White House as ‘F—ing Losers’ for Using ‘Midnight Sun’ to Promote Deportations

Swedish pop star Zara Larsson fired back at the Trump White House after officials used her 2022 hit "Midnight Sun" in a TikTok video promoting immigration enforcement operations. The clip showed ICE agents handcuffing and deporting migrants, paired with the caption "Never ending deportations."

Larsson responded with a TikTok of her own, holding an "L" to her forehead in a gesture of disapproval. She expressed her distress over the appropriation, saying she was sad and her heart was heavy seeing the song weaponized for deportation messaging. The artist's swift rebuke underscores a recurring tension in politics: the unauthorized use of copyrighted music and art to advance agendas artists oppose.

The incident reflects deeper friction between creative figures and political actors over intellectual property and message control. Musicians retain legal and moral claims to how their work circulates culturally. When campaigns or government agencies repurpose songs without permission or artist alignment, they risk backlash and potential legal action. Larsson's response signals she viewed the usage as not just unauthorized but fundamentally at odds with her values.

"Midnight Sun" achieved mainstream success on streaming platforms and radio rotation, making it recognizable to the demographic TikTok targets. The White House's selection of the track for promotional content suggests calculation about reach and engagement, though the move backfired immediately when Larsson objected.

This isn't the first time musicians have clashed with political figures over song usage. Artists from The Rolling Stones to Beyonce to Bruce Springsteen have demanded campaigns cease using their music. Legal frameworks exist to protect artists, but enforcement varies. TikTok's platform policies theoretically guard against unlicensed music use, though government accounts often operate under different rules.

Larsson built her career on pop hits that dominate streaming charts and social platforms. She's collaborated with producers including Max Martin and has cultivated a fanbase invested in her creative output. Her willingness to publicly call out the White House for misusing her work aligns with her brand as an artist who engages politically and personally with audience concerns.

The episode highlights how political messaging extends into digital spaces where younger audiences consume content. TikTok remains a key platform for reaching Gen Z and younger millennial voters. Using trending audio and artists' songs without consent capitalizes on built-in audience familiarity, but it also opens political figures to creative community backlash.

Larsson's "L" gesture and direct response leveraged TikTok's native language and format to oppose the White House's usage. Her approach mirrored the platform's culture of rapid, video-based discourse. The artist didn't require lawyers or formal cease-and-desist letters to communicate her objection. She met the government on TikTok's terms.

This conflict underscores how cultural property and political messaging intersect in the social media era. Artists maintain leverage through public platforms and engaged fanbases. When politicians or governments attempt to co-opt creative work for controversial causes, they face reputational and legal consequences. Larsson's sharp response demonstrated that musicians still control narratives around how their art gets used, regardless of who attempts to appropriate it.