Politicians and Pop Stars Go Pow! — The Year’s Top Alliances and Beefs Between Musicians and Lawmakers
It’s not as if music and politics haven’t been strange bedfellows for decades. But the bedding down got weirder than ever in 2025, when you were as likely to see music superstars pop up in the headlines of a D.C. news site like Politico as on Pitchfork. Here are some of the year’s highlights — or, let’s be real, lowlights — in that crossover zone:
Jan. 20 — Performers at President Trump’s inaugural events include such GOP-favoring artists as Jason Aldean and Kid Rock (who roars, “Is MAGA in the house tonight?”) as well as less obviously partisan Carrie Underwood, who takes the most heat from anti-Trumpers. She says she’s doing it because “we must all come together in the spirit of unity,” which in 2025 does not count as taking the temperature of the room.
May 15— Bruce Springsteen tells a British audience that America is “in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent and treasonous administration.” Trump responds by calling Springsteen “highly overrated,” “dumb as a rock” and a “dried out prune of a rocker (his skin is all atrophied!).” The president did not lend the Boss any tangerine orange moisturizer tips.
May 16 — Unprompted by much of anything, the president contends that music’s biggest superstar has gone from hero to zero under his withering social Truths: “Has anyone noticed that, since I said ‘I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT,’ she’s no longer ‘HOT?’” Three months later, as an addendum to his praise of Sydney Sweeney, he adds of Swift, “I can’t stand her (HATE!).” OMG, gag him with a spoon!
May 29 — In one of many conciliatory moves toward the hip-hop community, Trump pardons Young Boy NBA on a guns conviction. Pras and Diddy lobby for their own pardons (not yet successfully) since the’re being handed out like candy.
Oct. 8 — House Speaker Mike Johnson says Bad Bunny being booked for the Super Bowl halftime show is “a terrible decision… In my view, you would have Lee Greenwood, or role models, doing that. Not somebody like this… It sounds like he’s not someone who appeals to a broader audience.” We’ll see whether his math on the seats he needs to hold onto in 2026 is better than his math on Bad Bunny’s stats. Anyhow, way to court that Latino vote.
Nov. 7 — Trolling with the best, the White House begins a video meme campaign consisting of appropriating huge pop stars or hits for pro-ICE videos. Olivia Rodrigo blasts back: “Don’t ever use my songs to promote your racist, hateful propaganda.” Sabrina Carpenter calls a meme using her music “evil and disgusting. Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda.” Tweeted SZA: “White House rage baiting artists for free promo is PEAK DARK.” Of course, for this administration, triggering the world’s most beloved stars is a feature, not a flaw.
Dec. 7 —Kennedy Center honorees including Kiss and George Strait come to the White House for a medallion ceremony. Gene Simmons, a longtime friend of the president, insists he is apolitical, but supports the president’s East Wing teardown: ““Have you ever been to Versailles? The American house of the people is shameful.” And he knows shame. So does Cheap Trick, which plays the Honors event to cover Kiss’ “Rock N Roll All Nite,” then lives to regret it every day. Many left-leaning supporters go online to renounce their CT fandom, leading the group to issue a Dec. 17 statement swearing they weren’t there supporting Trump.
Dec. 12 —Nicki Minaj goes after California governor Gavin Newsom for supporting trans kids, calling him a “wicked and evil man” who will be “obliterated” by her campaign against him. Newsom simply responds by posting Megan Thee Stallion’s anti-Minaj diss track, “Hiss.” It gets weirder when Vice President JD Vance, the recent subject of supportive Minaj posts, tweets “Nicki > Cardi” — further establishing that all adult political life is like high school, just not not as mature or noble.
Jan. 20 — Performers at President Trump’s inaugural events include such GOP-favoring artists as Jason Aldean and Kid Rock (who roars, “Is MAGA in the house tonight?”) as well as less obviously partisan Carrie Underwood, who takes the most heat from anti-Trumpers. She says she’s doing it because “we must all come together in the spirit of unity,” which in 2025 does not count as taking the temperature of the room.
May 15— Bruce Springsteen tells a British audience that America is “in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent and treasonous administration.” Trump responds by calling Springsteen “highly overrated,” “dumb as a rock” and a “dried out prune of a rocker (his skin is all atrophied!).” The president did not lend the Boss any tangerine orange moisturizer tips.
May 16 — Unprompted by much of anything, the president contends that music’s biggest superstar has gone from hero to zero under his withering social Truths: “Has anyone noticed that, since I said ‘I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT,’ she’s no longer ‘HOT?’” Three months later, as an addendum to his praise of Sydney Sweeney, he adds of Swift, “I can’t stand her (HATE!).” OMG, gag him with a spoon!
May 29 — In one of many conciliatory moves toward the hip-hop community, Trump pardons Young Boy NBA on a guns conviction. Pras and Diddy lobby for their own pardons (not yet successfully) since the’re being handed out like candy.
Oct. 8 — House Speaker Mike Johnson says Bad Bunny being booked for the Super Bowl halftime show is “a terrible decision… In my view, you would have Lee Greenwood, or role models, doing that. Not somebody like this… It sounds like he’s not someone who appeals to a broader audience.” We’ll see whether his math on the seats he needs to hold onto in 2026 is better than his math on Bad Bunny’s stats. Anyhow, way to court that Latino vote.
Nov. 7 — Trolling with the best, the White House begins a video meme campaign consisting of appropriating huge pop stars or hits for pro-ICE videos. Olivia Rodrigo blasts back: “Don’t ever use my songs to promote your racist, hateful propaganda.” Sabrina Carpenter calls a meme using her music “evil and disgusting. Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda.” Tweeted SZA: “White House rage baiting artists for free promo is PEAK DARK.” Of course, for this administration, triggering the world’s most beloved stars is a feature, not a flaw.
Dec. 7 —Kennedy Center honorees including Kiss and George Strait come to the White House for a medallion ceremony. Gene Simmons, a longtime friend of the president, insists he is apolitical, but supports the president’s East Wing teardown: ““Have you ever been to Versailles? The American house of the people is shameful.” And he knows shame. So does Cheap Trick, which plays the Honors event to cover Kiss’ “Rock N Roll All Nite,” then lives to regret it every day. Many left-leaning supporters go online to renounce their CT fandom, leading the group to issue a Dec. 17 statement swearing they weren’t there supporting Trump.
Dec. 12 —Nicki Minaj goes after California governor Gavin Newsom for supporting trans kids, calling him a “wicked and evil man” who will be “obliterated” by her campaign against him. Newsom simply responds by posting Megan Thee Stallion’s anti-Minaj diss track, “Hiss.” It gets weirder when Vice President JD Vance, the recent subject of supportive Minaj posts, tweets “Nicki > Cardi” — further establishing that all adult political life is like high school, just not not as mature or noble.