'Stop using my music, perverts:' Kesha Slams Trump TikTok For Using Music 'to Incite Violence'

Pop star Kesha has publicly rebuked the Trump administration for using her 2011 dance‑pop hit Blow in a wartime TikTok video celebrating US military strikes without her permission.

Posting on Instagram and X, she said the use of her music was not only unauthorised but morally wrong. She proceeded to accuse officials of trying to 'make light of war' and to 'incite violence.'

As of recent, six American service members have now been killed in the US-Iran crisis.

Kesha's Sharp Rejection of the TikTok Clip

The White House video in question featured footage of US warplanes striking naval targets amid the Iran conflict, paired with the chorus of Kesha's Blow and the caption 'Lethality 🔥🦅.'

The montage was published on TikTok, while escalating military engagements that have already resulted in casualties.

Kesha responded swiftly, condemning the use of her music as both unauthorised and deeply insensitive.

She wrote that attempting to trivialise war with a pop song was 'disgusting and inhuman,' and made clear she did not approve her music being used to 'promote violence of any kind.'

Her comment about 'blatant disregard for human life' was aimed at the tone of the TikTok montage, which she argued was antithetical to her values as an artist and human being.

She followed up her initial post with a terse demand directly at the administration: Stop using my music, perverts.'

White House Communications Director Steven Cheung responded on social media by mocking her objection, suggesting that artists who complain generate 'more attention and more view counts' because people are curious about what they are criticising. His remarks typified a dismissive tone that has characterised some elements of the administration's defence of its communication tactics.

Artists Opposing Trump Admin for Using Their Music

Kesha is not alone. Over the past few months, American musicians have publicly objected when their songs were used in political or government‑related videos linked to Trump, his campaigns or federal agencies like US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

One recent example involved the band Radiohead, whose members demanded ICE withdraw a video that used a choral version of Let Down. The group's response was searingly direct, telling authorities 'Go f*** yourselves'.

Last year, Olivia Rodrigo blasted the US government after ICE used her track All‑American Bitch in an official Instagram video encouraging self‑deportation. She commented 'Don't ever use my songs to promote your racist, hateful propaganda,' but was later deleted. The song was ultimately removed from the clip.

Sabrina Carpenter also condemned the Trump administration's use of her hit Juno in a video showing ICE enforcement activity, describing the use as 'evil and disgusting' and demanding her music not be used 'to benefit your inhumane agenda.'

Can Artists Stop the Government from Using Their Music?

In the United States, artists generally control how their music is licensed, and unauthorised use, even by federal agencies, can lead to legal challenges. Cease and desist letters are a common first step.

Past cases have already forced political campaigns and government bodies to remove content.

But beyond legal rights, many musicians argue there is a moral dimension to how art is used. In Kesha's case, the idea that her upbeat dance track would accompany images of military strikes struck her as tone‑deaf or exploitative.