British singer Jess Glynne has publicly condemned the White House for using her song "Hold My Hand" in a social media post promoting deportation flights. The controversy began when the White House's official X (formerly Twitter) account shared a video depicting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents escorting detainees onto a plane. The post was captioned: "When ICE books you a one-way Jet2 holiday to deportation. Nothing beats it!" (lbc.co.uk)
The video utilized audio from a popular Jet2holidays advertisement, which features Glynne's 2015 hit "Hold My Hand" and a voiceover stating, "Nothing beats a Jet2 holiday." This audio had recently gone viral on TikTok, with users pairing it with videos of holiday mishaps. (nme.com)
Glynne expressed her dismay on Instagram, stating: "This post honestly makes me sick. My music is about love, unity, and spreading positivity – never about division or hate." (the-independent.com)
Zoë Lister, the voiceover artist from the Jet2 advertisement, also criticized the White House's use of the audio, questioning how her work could be used to "promote their nasty agenda." (lbc.co.uk)
Jet2, the airline associated with the original advertisement, distanced itself from the White House's post. A spokesperson stated: "We are of course aware of a post from the White House social media account. This is not endorsed by us in any way, and we are very disappointed to see our brand being used to promote government policy such as this." (hk.news.yahoo.com)
The White House's attempt to leverage a lighthearted viral trend for a serious and contentious issue has sparked widespread criticism, with many questioning the appropriateness of using entertainment content to promote deportation policies.