Radiohead Is the Latest Musical Act to Tell Off ICE

Photo: David Wolff-Patrick/Redferns

Radiohead joins the seemingly endless list of artists mad at the Trump administration for using their intellectual property to justify cruelty via shitposting. This time, it’s the use of OK Computer’s “Let Down” in a video promoting ICE. The video shows people purported to be the victims of “criminal illegal alien violence,” per NBC News. The Trump, White House, and DHS social media accounts also shared the video, part of ICE’s “This is our why” campaign to justify violent crackdowns across America. Radiohead issued a statement that was to the point: “We demand that the amateurs in control of the ICE social media account take it down. It ain’t funny, this song means a lot to us and other people, and you don’t get to appropriate it without a fight,” the band wrote. “Also, go fuck yourselves.”

Radiohead is just the latest to object to their image and music being hijacked by the Trump administration. SZA called the use of her viral Saturday Night Live song in a video depicting DHS handcuffing people “Evil n Boring.” Sabrina Carpenter objected to her song “Juno” being used in a White House video in much the same was as SZA. The White House doubled down on Carpenter, taking her SNL promo video with Marcello Hernández and implying he is an undocumented immigrant. So don’t expect contrition from DHS just because Radiohead told them to fuck off. They’re not Scott Tenorman.