Kesha Slams White House for Using ‘Blow’ in Military TikTok — and She’s Not the First

Summary:

• Kesha objects to White House using her music in a pro-military video, sparking a public dispute on TikTok.

• Cheung fires back at Kesha, dismissing backlash and claiming more views. Kesha’s objection gets over 1 million views.

• Artists like Radiohead, Olivia Rodrigo, and Sabrina Carpenter have also condemned the use of their music by government entities.

Kesha is the latest artist to blast the Trump administration for using her music without consent — this time in a pro-military video that’s racked up more than 15 million views.

The White House’s official TikTok account posted a 30-second clip on Feb. 10, captioned “Lethality,” showing a fighter jet firing a missile at a naval ship as Kesha’s 2010 hit “Blow” played in the background.

On March 2, Kesha went public with her objection. “It’s come to my attention that The White House has used one of my songs on TikTok to incite violence and threaten war,” she wrote. “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.”

White House Communications Director Steven Cheung fired back, writing “All these ‘singers’ keep falling for this,” and claiming the backlash only drives more views.

Stop using my music, perverts @WhiteHouse

— kesha (@KeshaRose) March 3, 2026

The exchange drew a stark contrast in reach — Cheung’s post earned just over 26,000 views on X, while Kesha’s original objection surpassed 1 million.

A Familiar Pattern

Kesha’s situation is part of a growing pattern. Due to how music licenses are governed on social media platforms, artists have little legal recourse to force removal of this type of content. That hasn’t stopped them from speaking out.

In February 2026, Radiohead condemned ICE’s use of their song “Let Down” in a pro-deportation video, demanding its removal and adding, “Also, go f*ck yourselves.”

In November 2025, Olivia Rodrigo warned DHS not to use her songs “to promote your racist, hateful propaganda” after “All American Bitch” appeared in a self-deportation video. Sabrina Carpenter similarly called out a government post using “Juno” over footage of immigration arrests, calling it “evil and disgusting.”

The estate of soul legend Isaac Hayes also reached a financial settlement with Trump over repeated use of “Hold On, I’m Coming” at campaign rallies, with the estate citing more than 130 unauthorized instances.

The White House has not indicated it plans to stop the practice.