The meme was fun while it lasted.
Jess Glynne, the British singer behind the “Hold My Hand” song used in the viral Jet2 Holiday ad, is speaking out after the White House decided to join in on the trend while making light of mass deportations happening around the United States.
The Tuesday post from the official White House X account features a video of several handcuffed individuals being detained by ICE officers, ushered out of vans, and forced to board planes. “When ICE books you a one-way Jet2 holiday to deportation, nothing beats it!,” reads the caption.
The post also features a screenshot of the Customs and Border Protection app homepage that offers immigrants the option to self-deport and a clip of President Donald Trump giving a thumbs up,
Glynne immediately made it clear that she didn’t approve of her song being used this way in a furious Wednesday response.
“This post honestly makes me sick,” she wrote on Instagram Stories. “My music is about love, unity, and spreading positivity — never about division or hate.”
Thus far, the Trump administration’s social media presence has not shied away from using similar memes and in a statement to Entertainment Weekly, the White House indicated that it has no intention of slowing down.
“There is nothing more unifying and positive than deporting criminal illegal aliens and making American communities safer,” said White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson. “The memes will continue until every criminal illegal alien is removed!”
Dana Jacobs/Getty
Jess Glynne performs at The Regency Ballroom on October 23, 2024
The White House ad comes weeks after Trump signed off on his “Big Beautiful Bill,” authorizing $170 billion in spending on border and immigration enforcement. The cash infusion makes ICE the highest-funded law enforcement agency in the federal government.
“Hold My Hand,” Glynne’s 2015 hit, recently gained popularity online once TikTok users began posting audio from the old Jet2 ad alongside various mishaps. With her post, Glynne joins the long list of music artists who have publicly condemned the Trump administration for using their music without approval.
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In March, rock band Semisonic similarly criticized the White House and Border Patrol’s joint post of a man in handcuffs, accompanied by their song “Closing Time.” The video was captioned, “You don’t have to go home but you can’t stay here.”
In a statement shared on social media, the band wrote, “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.”
Aside from Glynne and Semisonic, Queen, Nickelback, Rihanna, R.E.M., Steven Tyler, the Village People, the estate of Tom Petty, and many more have called for Trump to stop using their songs at his rallies and other events. Neil Young went as far as taking legal action.
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