- On August 20, 2026, the Team Trump TikTok account posted a video of Donald Trump set to Ariana Grande's song "we can't be friends (wait for your love)."
- Grande responded directly in the comments: "Never use my music again. Also, your truth is false."
- The video paired her song with political messaging about transgender participation in women's sports and pregnancy — the framing Grande rejected.
- The TikTok's audio was later reported as disabled or unavailable, and Grande's comment also disappeared.
- This is the second reported dispute between Grande and the Trump administration over her music in about two months.
- She joins Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo and Sabrina Carpenter among artists who've objected to political use of their music.
Ariana Grande has made her position unmistakably clear after a TikTok video from Team Trump used one of her songs in a political post. The dispute — quickly dubbed the Ariana Grande Trump TikTok controversy — has become one of the freshest flashpoints in the ongoing fight between musicians and political campaigns over who controls a song once it's online.
Ariana Grande publicly objected after the Team Trump TikTok account used her 2024 song "we can't be friends (wait for your love)" in a video posted August 20, 2026. She commented, "Never use my music again. Also, your truth is false," rejecting both the use of her music and the political message attached to it. Her comment was later removed, and the video's audio was reportedly disabled.
📱 What Happened Between Ariana Grande and Trump's Team
The controversy began on Thursday, August 20, 2026, when the Team Trump TikTok account posted a video of Donald Trump walking toward a podium, set to Ariana Grande's song "we can't be friends (wait for your love)." The post also displayed political messaging concerning transgender participation in women's sports and pregnancy — and Grande responded directly in the comments.
The Team Trump post used part of the song's lyrics before switching to its own political message — and that contrast became central to the controversy. Grande's response made clear she did not want her music associated with the message presented in the video.
💬 Ariana Grande's Response, In Full
Grande's message was short but unmistakable. She told the Team Trump account: "Never use my music again. Also, your truth is false." The comment addressed both the unauthorized use of her music and her rejection of the video's political framing, before it disappeared or became unavailable, according to reports.
Grande has previously expressed support for LGBTQ+ rights and has publicly participated in advocacy around those issues, which makes her reaction to this particular video unsurprising to many of her fans. The video paired her song with a message about transgender people and women's sports — so her comment addressed both the use of her music and the message attached to it.
🚫 What Happened to the TikTok Video
The controversy didn't stay online unchanged. Reports indicate the video was subsequently removed, while other reporting said the audio became unavailable. Global News reported that TikTok eventually displayed a notice stating the sound was unavailable — a development that gave the story another twist just as it was going viral.
Team Trump Posts the TikTok
The Team Trump TikTok account shares a video of Donald Trump walking toward a podium, using Ariana Grande's "we can't be friends (wait for your love)" as the soundtrack.
Ariana Grande Comments on the Video
Grande replies directly: "Never use my music again. Also, your truth is false" — a clear, public rejection of both the song's use and the video's message.
Grande's Comment Disappears
Her comment is later removed or becomes unavailable, according to reports from People and other outlets tracking the incident.
The Video's Audio Goes Silent
The TikTok is reported as removed or edited — Global News reports that TikTok began displaying a message that the sound was unavailable, effectively muting the original clip.
🔁 Not the First Clash With the Trump Administration
The latest TikTok incident is not the first time Ariana Grande has criticized the Trump administration over the use of her music. In June 2026, another Grande song, "Bye," was reportedly used in a government-related video concerning immigration enforcement, and Grande objected strongly at the time — making the August incident a continuation of an ongoing dispute rather than an isolated disagreement.
💡 Why this pattern matters: This is actually the second reported dispute involving Ariana Grande's music and the Trump administration in just two months. That timeline shows how quickly music licensing, celebrity identity and political messaging can collide on social platforms — and why Grande's latest response received so much attention.
🎶 Other Musicians Facing the Same Fight
Grande is not the only major musician to object to political use of their music. Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo and Sabrina Carpenter are among the artists who have also criticized the use of their music in political contexts associated with Trump — raising a broader question: can a campaign use a commercially released song simply because it's available on a social platform?
Ariana Grande
Objected twice in two months (June & August 2026)
Taylor Swift
Has also criticized political use of her music
Olivia Rodrigo
Among artists pushing back on unauthorized use
Sabrina Carpenter
Also raised objections to political usage
The Legal Question
Depends on licensing, platform rules & performance rights
The Pattern
These incidents keep recurring — and keep going viral
The answer to whether a politician can use a commercially released song can depend on licensing, platform rules, performance rights and the specific circumstances surrounding the use — which is exactly why these incidents can escalate so quickly on social media before the legal questions get sorted out.
⚖️ Why Music and Politics Keep Colliding
Music has always played a powerful role in political campaigns because a familiar song can instantly create an emotional connection with an audience. The problem appears when the artist doesn't want that association — because for musicians, a song represents their identity, values and creative message, and pairing it with a political statement can make audiences assume the artist agrees with it.
💡 The core issue: Social media has made music easier to discover and use than ever — but that accessibility doesn't mean artists want their work associated with every message that uses it. For musicians, controlling the context around their work can be just as important as controlling the music itself.
A famous song.
One celebrity comment — and suddenly millions of people are talking about it.
The reaction also arrives during an especially active period in Grande's career. She released her latest album, Petal, in August 2026 and released a music video for the album's title track, all while continuing her Eternal Sunshine Tour — meaning the controversy landed right as her name was already everywhere in entertainment coverage.
🔮 What's Next for Ariana Grande
The controversy arrives shortly after reports that Grande plans to reduce her public visibility after completing her current tour. Her representative told People that Grande would step back from public visibility once the Eternal Sunshine Tour wraps — meaning this dispute may be one of her last high-profile public moments before that quieter chapter begins.
🔮 The bigger picture for artists: The Ariana Grande Trump TikTok controversy highlights a larger issue in the digital era — how a creator's work is used, interpreted and associated with messages they may not support. For Grande, the message is clear: she does not want her music connected to this particular political content, and after the video's audio became unavailable, the controversy may have already had its biggest digital moment.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
- The Independent reported Grande's latest demand and placed the incident alongside other musicians objecting to political use of their music
- People reported Grande's response and the subsequent status of the TikTok post
- Us Weekly reported on the political messaging attached to the Team Trump video
- Global News reported that the TikTok's audio was later unavailable
- ABC News reported on Grande's new album "Petal" and her plans to step back from public life
- Variety and Billboard reported the details of the Team Trump TikTok and Grande's response
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