Semisonic Responds To White House Using ‘Closing Time’ In Their Deportation Video: “No, They Didn’t Ask”

Welp, that didn’t take long.

Semisonic has officially responded to the White House’s unauthorized use of their hit song “Closing Time,” and shocker… they have a problem with it.

This morning, the official White House social media account posted a video showing the deportation of illegal immigrants set to “Closing Time,” which is the beloved 1998 hit that everyone knows… whether they realize it or not.

If you’re wondering why the White House went with that song, it’s because the lyrics in a particular portion of the track lined up with the message of what they were showing in the video:

“Closing time, you don’t have to go home
But you can’t stay here
I know who I want to take me home”

To be honest, I never thought I’d see the official White House account trolling like this:

You don't have to go home but you can't stay here @CBP pic.twitter.com/yWWhlvKQrb

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 17, 2025

Of course, seeing that on video shouldn’t be a surprise… to a certain extent. Donald Trump made immigration reform and border security a central focus of his 2024 presidential campaign, and as you can see, he’s kept his word in the early stages of his second term, and he’s proud to show off the work he’s doing.

While most people in the reply section found the video to be very amusing, there were a number of social media users that were upset that the White House was parading around about their deportation efforts and utilizing a 90’s hit song to do so:

This is weird https://t.co/3ZIPxso1i5

— andrew (@eastsfinest2015) March 17, 2025

no taste or class, absolutely fried nation https://t.co/6MzPvE8TcS

— chimpfone (@chimpfone2047) March 17, 2025

this is extremely dystopian. https://t.co/GJHorwH0HV

— rave (@ravenarnae) March 17, 2025

And no one disliked the video more than Semisonic, the band behind the song “Closing Time.” They took to their official X account to clear the air on the video from the White House that’s now been viewed more than 4.8 million times.

The band shared that the White House never asked for permission to use their song, and also suggested that using “Closing Time” in the video went against what the track’s message stands for:

“We did not authorize or condone the White House’s use of our song ‘Closing Time’ in any way. And no, they didn’t ask. The song is about joy and possibilities and hope, and they have missed the point entirely.”

We did not authorize or condone the White House’s use of our song “Closing Time" in any way. And no, they didn’t ask. The song is about joy and possibilities and hope, and they have missed the point entirely.

— Semisonic (@SemisonicBand) March 17, 2025

I mean, we all saw that coming, right? One could argue (and perhaps his approval rating would as well) that the Trump administration is bringing back joy, possibilities and hope to the American people, but something tells me Semisonic just won’t see it that way.

Of course, this isn’t the first time that President Donald Trump – or the White House – has used music without authorization and found the artist complaining about it. In the past, artists and acts like Adele, Beyoncé, Celine Dion, Earth Wind & Fire, Jack White, Neil Young and even Nickelback have all voiced their displeasure with their songs being played at events associated with Trump (rallies, speeches, etc). There’s lawsuits galore when it comes to that kind of stuff, however, as we saw with ABBA, the Trump administration has obtained proper licenses for music rights in the past, and when that happens, there isn’t much the artist can do. It’s unclear if they did for “Closing Time.”

However, other artists like Kid Rock, Lee Greenwood, and Jason Aldean have all endorsed President Trump and allow for him to use their music in whatever fashion he wishes. But some artists prefer to stay out of the political space, and it appears Semisonic is one of those bands.