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Pop singer Sabrina Carpenter and the publishers of Canada’s favorite children’s character Franklin the Turtle are disavowing the Trump administration’s use of their music and images to support their agenda.
Responding to the use of her song Juno in a video montage showing US Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids, Carpenter tweeted on Tuesday: “This video is evil and disgusting. Please don’t ever include me or my music in furtherance of your inhumane agenda.”
In a description of the clip, the White House quoted Carpenter as saying “Have you ever tried this one? Bye-bye.”
On Monday, Franklin the Turtle’s Canadian-owned publisher, Kids Can Press, he similarly condemned the announcement by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. That image, posted on X, contained a doctored image of Franklin targeting ships with a bazooka. 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 condemn the use of Franklin’s image.
this video is evil and disgusting. Please don’t ever involve me or my music in furtherance of your inhumane agenda.
“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 demeaning, violent or unauthorized use of Franklin’s name or image, which is in direct conflict with these values.”
In a statement to US media, including CBS and Axios, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said: “We suspect that Franklin the Turtle wants to include the drug cartels … or praise the kindness and empathy of narco-terrorists.”
The Trump administration has carried out multiple raids in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean on small vessels accused of transporting drugs in the region. More than 80 people have been killed in such strikes since the beginning of September.
There is a long list of performers and artists who have opposed 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, Eddy Grant, Panic! at the disco, REM, Guns N’ Roses, Céline Dion, Beyoncé and Adele.
