SZA calls White House ‘evil and boring’ for ‘rage-baiting’ after using her song over ICE ad
SZA dubbed the White House ‘evil’ and ‘boring’ for using artists’ music on ICE videos. (Getty)
SZA has slammed the “evil” and “boring” White House for “rage-baiting” musicians after it used her viral Saturday Night Live cuffing season song on a video promoting ICE raids.
Earlier this week, the White House shared a TikTok clip featuring a montage of United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers chasing and handcuffing people.
“We heard it’s cuffing szn…” the White House wrote alongside the clip, which was soundtracked by SZA’s viral novelty song “Big Boys”, originally performed by the star alongside Keke Palmer on SNL in 2022.
“Bad news for criminal illegal aliens. Great news for America,” the White House added, sharing the clip on X, formerly Twitter.
WE HEARD IT'S CUFFING SZN. ⛓️
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) December 9, 2025
Bad news for criminal illegal aliens. Great news for America. pic.twitter.com/cuXCdJjxWY
SZA’s song is about ‘cuffing season’, a period of time during the winter where people are said to seek short-term relationships in order to bed down for the colder months. The White House used the term to celebrate the number of ICE arrests of people suspected to be illegal immigrants in 2025, which has increased under Donald Trump.
However, dozens of those arrested have been revealed to be American citizens, while up to three quarters of detainees this fiscal year have no criminal history, according to the Cato Institute.
On Tuesday (9 December), SZA’s manager Terrence Louis Henderson Jr – known as Punch – responded to the White House on X.
“Trying to provoke artist to respond in order to help spread propaganda and political agendas is nasty business. Knock it off,” he wrote.
Yesterday (10 December), the Grammy-winning songstress herself responded to the White House using “Big Boys” by reposting Punch’s post, and declaring it “peak dark”.
“White House rage baiting artists for free promo is PEAK DARK ..inhumanity +shock and aw tactics ..Evil n Boring,” she wrote.
SZA joins a growing list of musicians who have previously called out Donald Trump’s administration for using their music to promote his anti-immigration agenda.
Earlier this month, Sabrina Carpenter responded to the White House directly on X after it used her 2024 song “Juno” over similar ICE footage.
“This video is evil and disgusting. Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda,” she wrote, in a post that has received more than 1.8 million ‘likes’.
The White House’s original post using Carpenter’s song has since been deleted.
Other artists including Olivia Rodrigo and MGMT have hit out at the president’s administration for using their music to soundtrack ICE footage.
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