‘Closing Time' Band Condemns Trump Administration's Use Of Song In Deportation Video
The band Semisonic said it does not 'condone' the White House using its song 'Closing Time' in a social media video about deportation.
'We did not authorize or condone the White House's use of our song in any way,' the band said in a statement to HuffPost. 'And no, they didn't ask. The song is about joy and possibilities and hope, and they have missed the point entirely.'
In the video on the White House's official Instagram account, Border Patrol agents handcuff someone while 'Closing Time,' originally released in 1998, plays.
The lyrics 'Closing time/ you don't have to go home/ but you can't stay here,' which can be heard during the video, are also in the post's caption.
After the man is handcuffed, the video shows people getting on a plane, seemingly to be deported.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but during Monday's White House briefing, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt referenced Semisonic's song in defense of the video.
'I think the White House and our entire government clearly is leaning into the message of this president,' Leavitt said. 'We are unafraid to double down ... We are unafraid to message effectively what the president is doing on a daily basis to make our communities safer. And the specific video you referenced, I think it sums up our immigration policy pretty well. 'You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here.''
Plenty of artists have spoken out against President Donald Trump's campaign using their songs without authorization, including Beyoncé, Celine Dion, the Foo Fighters and more.
In September, a judge ordered Trump to stop using the late Isaac Hayes's song 'Hold On, I'm Coming' during campaign events.
Hayes' son, Isaac Hayes III, wrote on social media, 'Donald Trump represents the worst in honesty, integrity and class and [we] want no association with his campaign of hate and racism.'
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