Olivia Rodrigo says the Trump administration put one of her songs under ICE raid footage, and she believes the move was meant to pull pop stars into a political brawl.
The Grammy-winning singer told NPR that hearing “All-American Bitch” in a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement deportation video landed especially badly because the song was written from a very different place.
“It was just awful to see a song that I wrote about feeling trapped in a misogynistic box that we put women in — this song being put to these just grotesque, cruel scenes of ICE raids,” Rodrigo said.
Rodrigo had already gone after the Department of Homeland Security when the deportation video surfaced, accusing the agency of turning her music into racist and hateful propaganda.
🚨BREAKING: Famous singer, Olivia Rodrigo, donates $10 million to abortion organizations after Trump eliminates funding.
The cost of an abortion is $580.
Olivia Rodrigo is now responsible for the murder of 17,241 babies. pic.twitter.com/rTHHxp7RDo
— Victoria Ellis 🇺🇲🇺🇲❤️ (@Ellis5ol) August 30, 2026
The “Vampire” singer told NPR the episode now looks to her like more than a fight over a soundtrack choice.
“Picking fights with pop stars is a great distraction,” Rodrigo said. “You know, while they do kind of other really awful, awful things.”
Billboard received a very different answer from DHS, which defended federal enforcement officers and pushed back on Rodrigo’s criticism.
Olivia Rodrigo announces her Daisy Chain Fields festival will be donating $10 million to nonprofit organizations benefitting women and girls. pic.twitter.com/xON530aVwO
— Pop Base (@PopBase) August 28, 2026
“America is grateful all the time for our federal law enforcement officers who keep us safe,” DHS told Billboard, saying “Ms. Rodrigo” should “thank them for their service, not belittle their sacrifice.”
Rodrigo’s fight with DHS came while she was steering her celebrity toward Daisy Chain Fields Festival, an all-female music event built to send money to groups serving women and girls.
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At Great Park in Irvine, California, on August 29, Rodrigo shared the bill with Chappell Roan, Kesha, Alanis Morissette, Gwen Stefani, Doechii, Katseye, Mitski, The Breeders, Die Spitz, Bikini Kill, Eli, Garbage, Quiet Light, Rachel Chinouriri and Not for Radio.
Karen O, Stevie Nicks and Sarah McLachlan were also part of the event.
Daisy Chain Fields brought in $10 million before billionaire Melinda Gates matched it, lifting the total to $20 million for Planned Parenthood and other groups.
“Daisy Chain Fields was created to celebrate the power of what can happen when we come together to support one another,” Rodrigo said.
Rodrigo said the organizations attached to the festival were doing work she viewed as essential.
“The organizations we’ve partnered with are doing incredibly important work every single day in the U.S. and globally,” she said.
The donation pool went toward groups involved in reproductive health, maternal care, economic empowerment, survivor support, indigenous health and family services.
Among the recipients were Planned Parenthood, Baby2Baby, Black Mamas Matter Alliance, Center for Reproductive Rights, FreeFrom, Jhpiego, Johns Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health, National Domestic Workers Alliance, National Institute for Reproductive Health and National Women’s Law Center.
Rodrigo also used Daisy Chain Fields to nod to Lilith Fair, saying women in music had once been told they could not headline a festival, bring in sponsors or get audiences to show up.
“Before Lilith Fair, women were told that they couldn’t lead a festival, that no one would come, that they couldn’t get sponsors, and those women proved everyone wrong,” Rodrigo said. “Thanks to those trailblazers, we are obviously in a very different situation now.”
Onstage, Rodrigo credited Gates with turning the festival’s first $10 million into $20 million.
“Melinda is one of the most inspiring women I’ve ever met,” Rodrigo said. “She’s devoted her life to empowering women and girls that might have otherwise been forgotten.”
The singer said Gates had promised to match the money raised that day.
“She’s generous and brave and has done so much good in this world, and I’m totally floored because as well as being in attendance here tonight, she’s pledged to double every dollar that we made here today to a grand total of funds being donated to $20 million. I’m so grateful.”
Hayley Williams put her own stage show into the same pop-versus-politics lane with remarks aimed at Trump and ICE.
The Paramore frontwoman launched her 2026 “The Hayley Williams Show” U.S. tour at the iTHINK Financial Amphitheater in West Palm Beach, Florida, by giving concertgoers a profane sendoff.
“Be safe, take care of yourself, look out for each other, and fuck Donald Trump,” Williams said.
At the Fox Theater in Oakland, California, Williams had made another political outburst while singing her 2025 song “Ice In My OJ.”
Hayley Williams says “Fuck ICE” and “Free Palestine” at her show last night in Oakland, CA pic.twitter.com/EpOdisLseQ
— Marco Foster (@MarcoFoster_) May 11, 2026
“I got ice in my OJ, I’m a cold, hard bitch,” Williams sang before adding, “Fuck ICE” and holding up her middle finger.
She continued singing, “A lot of dumb motherfuckers that I made rich,” then shouted, “and free Palestine!”
Kacey Musgraves dragged immigrant children, politics and giant disco testicles into a separate concert flare-up during her Middle of Nowhere Tour stop at Chicago’s United Center.
The “I Remember Everything” singer had canceled the Chicago opening night and three other shows before eventually performing in the city.
From the stage, Musgraves asked fans to support an organization that helps children whose parents she said had been “deported unfairly.”
@cleerlauren “This is what it looks like when no one tells me no!” Kacey Musgraves Opening Night!!!!! #KaceyMusgraves #MiddleOfNowhere #Rhinestoned #UnitedCenter
“It’s a wonderful organization, and they help give aid, legal aid, and money to children whose parents have been deported unfairly. It’s not a political thing, it’s just these kids need help,” Musgraves said.
Her comments brought boycott calls, including a question from OutKick’s Tomi Lahren on X.
“What is an unfair deportation?” Lahren asked.
Another user wrote, “I’m deporting Musgraves from all my music playlists.”
What is an unfair deportation? pic.twitter.com/B2AsxkgZmB
— Tomi Lahren (@TomiLahren) August 23, 2026
Musgraves also joked about appearing on a giant disco ball shaped like hanging testicles while her grandmother was there to see it.
“It takes a lot of balls to get up here and do what I do every night. It takes two gigantic, anatomically correct sparkly balls,” she said.
Whiskey Riff reported that Musgraves folded her grandmother into the bit.
“I’ve actually got my Nana in the house tonight, and she always told me, ‘Honey, if you’re gonna do something, do it big, do it sparkly.’ Nana is this what you had in mind?”
Musgraves had also objected on Instagram to Texas education rules after sharing a Dallas Morning News story headlined “Bible passages will be taught in Texas public schools.”
“The bible being forced by people who don’t even follow it themselves. smfh. This is simply indoctrination and it’s not okay,” Musgraves wrote.