Trending Now - Kesha Criticizes White House for Using Her Song in Military Ad

WHO:

Kesha (pop singer)

Donald Trump (President of the United States)

Steven Cheung (White House Communications Director)

Isaac Hayes (deceased musician, represented by his estate)

Radiohead (British band)

Other artists mentioned: Olivia Rodrigo, the Rolling Stones, Celine Dion, Sabrina Carpenter, SZA, Kenny Loggins, Linda Ronstadt, Foo Fighters, the White Stripes

WHAT:

Kesha criticized the White House for using her song "Blow" in a TikTok video that featured fighter jets and the caption "Lethality."

Kesha stated, “Trying to make light of war is disgusting and inhumane. I absolutely do NOT approve of my music being used to promote violence of any kind.”

Kesha's response to the White House received almost 547,000 views on X.

The White House's TikTok video received over 15 million views.

Steven Cheung stated, “All these ‘singers’ keep falling for this. This just gives us more attention and more view counts to our videos because people want to see what they’re bitching about.”

The estate of Isaac Hayes reached a settlement with Trump regarding the use of the song "Hold On, I’m Coming" at campaign rallies.

Radiohead demanded the removal of a promotional video featuring their song "Let Down" used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

WHERE:

The White House (location of the official account that posted the TikTok video)

TikTok (platform where the video was posted)

Social media platforms X and Instagram (where Kesha made her statements)

WHEN:

Kesha's criticism occurred on March 3, 2026.

The White House posted the TikTok video on February 10, 2026.

Kesha's song "Blow" was officially released on February 1, 2011.

The music video for "Blow" was released later in February 2011.

The lawsuit settlement regarding Isaac Hayes occurred on February 23, 2026.

Radiohead's response to the ICE video was made on February 27, 2026.

WHY:

Kesha's objections stemmed from her belief that using her music to promote violence is inappropriate and inhumane.

The White House's use of her song was perceived as an attempt to gain attention and views.

HOW:

Kesha expressed her disapproval through social media posts on X and Instagram.

The White House utilized TikTok to post a video featuring Kesha's song alongside military imagery.

Kesha has publicly criticized the White House for using her song "Blow" in a TikTok video that featured fighter jets and the caption "Lethality," stating that it is "disgusting and inhumane" to use her music to promote violence. In response, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung remarked that such criticisms only draw more attention to their videos, which have garnered millions of views. Meanwhile, the estate of Isaac Hayes reached a settlement with Trump over the use of his song "Hold On, I’m Coming" at campaign rallies, and Radiohead demanded the removal of a promotional video featuring their song "Let Down" used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.