The White House added the song to a post depicting a man with his wrists cuffed to his waist while being searched at an airport. The video was captioned with the song’s lyrics: “You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here.”
“We did not authorize nor do we condone the White House’s use of our song in any way. And no, they did not ask. The song is about joy, possibilities, and hope, and they got it all wrong,” the band said in a statement to The Associated Press.
When asked about the post, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt stated that “the entire administration is clearly leaning into this President’s message.”
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s official page shared the White House’s post on X, captioning it: “It’s time to close up shop. We’re making America safe again.”
“Closing Time” is from Semisonic’s 1998 album, ‘Feeling Strangely Fine’, which reached number 43 on the Billboard 200 album chart. The song peaked at number 4 on Billboard’s Adult Alternative Airplay chart and was nominated for a Grammy for Best Rock Song.
Semisonic joins a long list of artists who have objected to the use of their songs by Trump, including ABBA, Bruce Springsteen, Rihanna, Phil Collins, Pharrell, John Fogerty, Neil Young, Eddy Grant, Panic! at the Disco, R.E.M., Guns N’ Roses, Celine Dion, Beyoncé, and Adele.
