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MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO/830) – Minneapolis band Semisonic is pushing back at the White House for using their 1998 hit song “Closing Time” over a social media post that shows a shackled deportee. That song hit No. 4 on Billboard’s Adult Alternative airplay chart and earned a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Song.
The White House added the song in a post of a man with his wrists handcuffed to his waist as he is patted down at an airport. The video was captioned with the song’s lyrics: “You don’t have to go home but you can’t stay here.”
The power pop trio from the Twin Cities said in a statement they don’t authorize or condone the White House’s use of their song in any way. The band said the song is about joy, possibilities, and hope, and the White House has missed the point entirely.
Asked about the post on Monday, the White House press secretary said, “Our entire government clearly is leaning into the message of this president.”
U.S. Customs and Border Protection retweeted the White House post on X with the caption, “It’s closing time. we are making America safe again.”
Semisonic joins a long list of performers who’ve objected to Trump using their songs ranging from Bruce Springsteen and John Fogerty to Gun’s N’ Roses to Celine Dion and Beyonce.
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