The White House continues to engage with Katy Perry following her criticism of the Trump administration for featuring her song “Firework” in a TikTok video about military actions against Iran. In response, the White House posted another video set to Perry’s 2012 hit “Part of Me,” incorporating footage of Perry in military attire holding a weapon alongside images of Donald Trump and military personnel.
The video is accompanied by the caption “Now look at me,” a line from the song. Trump aide Kaelan Dorr shared the video on X, playfully tagging Perry and prompting a further exchange. Perry, who expressed dismay over the use of her music in the initial video, no longer controls the rights to her earlier songs, including “Firework.”
The White House’s initial TikTok video featuring “Firework” synchronized with images of U.S. strikes against Iran, captioned “Iran has been warned,” elicited Perry’s strong disapproval. She condemned the use of her music, leading to its removal from the video. Perry has not publicly responded to the recent video. Other artists, such as Ariana Grande, Bruce Springsteen, Kesha, SZA, Sabrina Carpenter, and Olivia Rodrigo, have also criticized the Trump administration for using their music without consent.