Overview
- The White House posted a montage of ICE arrests set to SZA’s SNL track “Big Boys” with the caption, “WE HEARD IT’S CUFFING SZN… Bad news for criminal illegal aliens. Great news for America.”
- SZA called the tactic “PEAK DARK” and “Evil n Boring,” echoing manager Terrence “Punch” Henderson’s claim that officials are “rage baiting” artists for attention.
- White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson responded by thanking SZA for drawing attention to ICE officers’ work arresting “dangerous criminal illegal aliens.”
- The dispute follows recent objections from Sabrina Carpenter, whose song “Juno” was used before the White House deleted the post and then circulated an edited SNL clip involving her.
- Coverage notes repeated use of unapproved music, occasional platform takedowns or audio edits, and research from the Cato Institute that challenges the administration’s framing of recent ICE arrests.