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White House removes Zara Larsson's song after TikTok ICE video sparks backlash

The administration pulled "Midnight Sun" from a TikTok reel after the Swedish singer called the clip dehumanising and labelled the White House "losers".

AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made

Published Updated
Zara Larsson was furious after seeing the video on The White House TikTok account

What this story says

  • The White House posted a TikTok video of ICE arrests with Zara Larsson's song "Midnight Sun" as background music.
  • Larsson responded on TikTok, describing the clip as dehumanising and calling the White House "losers".
  • Following her criticism, the White House removed the song from the reel.
  • The incident was reported by outlets across the political spectrum.

Who covered it

Left 45%(14)Centre 36%(11)Right 19%(6)

Percentages are shares of the 31 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 14 of the 45 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .

Trust

62/100

Craft

95/100

Hype

25/100

45 sources · methodology

Missing from the right

Only 6 of the 31 outlets with a published leaning rating that ran this story are rated right.

A reader who follows the right would not have seen this. We report the absence rather than explain it: outlets choose what to cover for many reasons, and we have no evidence about which one applies here.

The White House’s official TikTok account shared a 19‑second reel that showed ICE agents handcuffing and deporting roughly a dozen men. The clip used the Swedish pop star’s track "Midnight Sun" and carried the caption "never ending deportations".

Zara Larsson posted her own TikTok reply, calling the video "dehumanising" and expressing sadness. In the response she held up an "L" gesture and said the White House were "losers", using strong language to condemn the use of her music.

After the criticism, the White House removed "Midnight Sun" from the TikTok reel, ending the use of the song in that particular post.

“"You guys are such f*****g losers. Like, it's crazy."”

— Zara Larsson, singer

What the coverage left out

None of the left‑rated digests mention that the White House removed the song after Larsson’s criticism. None of the right‑rated reports mention the removal either.

Coverage settled. We checked this 21 times and stopped on 23 Sept 2026, 10:30. The figures above are what it finished at.

How each side covered it

Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.

Left

14 rated outlets

  • All seven left‑rated outlets highlighted Larsson’s condemnation, her description of the video as dehumanising, and her use of the phrase "you guys are such f*****g losers". The Daily Mirror’s full report quoted her at length, noting her frustration with the White House and her broader comments about immigration and luck. Several digests (Stuff, Rolling Stone, Billboard, The Cut, Variety, IBTimes) also placed the incident in the context of other artists who have objected to their music being used by the administration.

Centre

11 rated outlets

  • All seven centre‑rated outlets reported the basic facts: the White House used "Midnight Sun" in a TikTok showing ICE arrests, Larsson called the clip dehumanising, and the administration subsequently removed the song. The BBC digest explicitly noted the removal, while The Source, Mandatory, Forbes, The Hill, Reality Tea and Newsner Svenska focused on the criticism and the corrective action without quoting the profanity.

Right

6 rated outlets

  • All six right‑rated outlets reported that Swedish pop singer Zara Larsson objected to the White House using her track in a TikTok video showing ICE operations. The digests repeatedly note her criticism and the use of strong language. Only Göteborgs‑Posten’s digest does not mention Larsson or the song, instead summarising unrelated news items.
  • The Washington Times led on Larsson calling the administration “losers,” while Breitbart highlighted the same profanity‑laden insult. Times of India and Sapo each led on her describing the video as dehumanising. Globo’s digest led on the visual detail of ICE agents handcuffing immigrants. Each outlet’s lead reflects the phrasing reported in its digest.
  • None of the right‑rated digests include any statement from the White House, nor do they provide background on the policy context or mention any cost figures. The digests also omit reference to other artists’ reactions beyond a generic mention by Times of India. These omissions are evident across the six summaries.

Questions about this coverage

How did the left and right cover White House removes Zara Larsson's song after TikTok ICE video sparks…?
Of the 31 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 45% are rated left, 36% are rated centre, 19% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 45. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
Is White House removes Zara Larsson's song after TikTok ICE video sparks… left or right?
Neither side dominates it. Of the 31 rated outlets on this story, 45% are rated left, 36% are rated centre, 19% are rated right, and no side holds the 70% this site would want before calling a field one-sided. A story is not left or right in any case; the outlets that carried it are what carry ratings.
Is the coverage of White House removes Zara Larsson's song after TikTok ICE video sparks… biased?
White House removes Zara Larsson's song after TikTok ICE video sparks backlash is one event reported by 45 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
Which side is not reporting White House removes Zara Larsson's song after TikTok ICE video sparks…?
When we first saw this story, outlets rated right had barely covered it. Coverage accretes for hours after an event, so that is where to look rather than a verdict — the split above is the current count, and it is the one to read.
Which outlets covered White House removes Zara Larsson's song after TikTok ICE video sparks…?
45 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
What song did the White House use in the TikTok video?
The White House used Zara Larsson’s track "Midnight Sun" as the background music for a TikTok reel that showed Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arresting and deporting people. The use of the song prompted a public reaction from the artist.
How did Zara Larsson respond to the video?
Larsson posted a TikTok reply describing the clip as dehumanising, expressing sadness, and calling the White House "losers" while holding up an "L" gesture. She also criticised the association of her music with immigration enforcement and highlighted the humanity of the people shown.
What action did the White House take after her criticism?
Following Larsson’s criticism, the White House removed "Midnight Sun" from the TikTok reel. The removal was noted by several centre‑rated outlets, confirming that the administration ceased using the song in that particular post.

Read it at the source

45 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.

Left

14
Show 6 more

Centre

11
Show 3 more

Right

6

Not rated

14
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How did this read?

About the coverage, not about the story. We do not ask whether you agree with what happened — we have no honest use for that answer.

White House removes song | MediaBias News