Semisonic, the band behind the 1998 hit “Closing Time,” said the Trump administration did not ask for permission to use the song in a video appearing to show migrant deportations.
“We did not authorize or condone the White House’s use of our song ‘Closing Time’ in any way,” the band said in a statement on X. “And no, they didn’t ask. The song is about joy and possibilities and hope, and they have missed the point entirely.”
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The video, which had garnered more than 3.8 million views on X by Monday afternoon, shows men in gray sweatsuits and shackles being patted down by uniformed officials before boarding a plane. (A truck with “Border Patrol” lettering is also shown prominently in the foreground.) Quoting the lyrics to “Closing Time,” the White House’s caption read, “You don’t have to go home but you can’t stay here,” between two music note emojis.
The post followed the deportation of 261 immigrants that the president authorized Friday after invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. The migrants were sent to El Salvador despite a Saturday order from a federal judge that temporarily blocked the mass expulsion and ordered officials to direct the planes carrying the migrants to return to the United States.
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White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the video Monday afternoon, saying the song “sums up” the administration’s immigration policy.
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Leavitt later doubled down, adding, “We are encouraging illegal immigrants to actively self-deport, to maybe save themselves from being in one of these fun videos.”
White House doubles down on ‘Closing Time’ for immigrants
1:05
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on March 17 said a line from the song “Closing Time” by Semisonic “sums up our immigration policy pretty well.” (Video: The Washington Post)
In rebuking Trump’s use of its music, Semisonic joins a range of musicians and their estates, including Celine Dion, Isaac Hayes, Abba and the Foo Fighters. (In 2024, Hayes’s estate and the White Stripes filed lawsuits against Trump for copyright infringement.)
“Closing Time” has become a pop-culture staple since its release and has been featured on hit shows such as “The Office” and “How I Met Your Mother.”
Semisonic front man Dan Wilson told Billboard in 2018 that he wrote the track because the group wanted a new song to end its sets with and he thought “Closing Time” would make a good title. But as Wilson was writing, he also drew inspiration from the birth of his daughter.
“When I was halfway done, I started realizing the whole thing was a pun about being born, so I just made sure that the rest of the thing could ride with that double meaning,” Wilson said.
“We did not authorize or condone the White House’s use of our song ‘Closing Time’ in any way,” the band said in a statement on X. “And no, they didn’t ask. The song is about joy and possibilities and hope, and they have missed the point entirely.”
Get concise answers to your questions. Try Ask The Post AI.The video, which had garnered more than 3.8 million views on X by Monday afternoon, shows men in gray sweatsuits and shackles being patted down by uniformed officials before boarding a plane. (A truck with “Border Patrol” lettering is also shown prominently in the foreground.) Quoting the lyrics to “Closing Time,” the White House’s caption read, “You don’t have to go home but you can’t stay here,” between two music note emojis.
The post followed the deportation of 261 immigrants that the president authorized Friday after invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. The migrants were sent to El Salvador despite a Saturday order from a federal judge that temporarily blocked the mass expulsion and ordered officials to direct the planes carrying the migrants to return to the United States.
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The Style section
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White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the video Monday afternoon, saying the song “sums up” the administration’s immigration policy.
🎶
Follow Music
Leavitt later doubled down, adding, “We are encouraging illegal immigrants to actively self-deport, to maybe save themselves from being in one of these fun videos.”
White House doubles down on ‘Closing Time’ for immigrants
1:05
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on March 17 said a line from the song “Closing Time” by Semisonic “sums up our immigration policy pretty well.” (Video: The Washington Post)
In rebuking Trump’s use of its music, Semisonic joins a range of musicians and their estates, including Celine Dion, Isaac Hayes, Abba and the Foo Fighters. (In 2024, Hayes’s estate and the White Stripes filed lawsuits against Trump for copyright infringement.)
“Closing Time” has become a pop-culture staple since its release and has been featured on hit shows such as “The Office” and “How I Met Your Mother.”
Semisonic front man Dan Wilson told Billboard in 2018 that he wrote the track because the group wanted a new song to end its sets with and he thought “Closing Time” would make a good title. But as Wilson was writing, he also drew inspiration from the birth of his daughter.
“When I was halfway done, I started realizing the whole thing was a pun about being born, so I just made sure that the rest of the thing could ride with that double meaning,” Wilson said.
