A majority of Americans support the Trump administration crackdown on illegal immigration. While some believe the arrests and deportations are cruel, reasonable people understand this: Criminality should not be tolerated. Frankly, it doesn’t matter if someone has been in the country for years. If someone is breaking the law, they should be held responsible. We are a nation of laws. Without them, it would be chaos.
In early October, the Department of Homeland Security issued a press release titled “Polls Show Americans Overwhelmingly Support President Trump’s Mass Deportations.” The release includes a New York Times/Siena poll from September and a Harvard/Harris poll from October, both of which show more than half of registered voters support the deportation of illegal immigrants. The October polling also shows “78% support deporting criminal illegal aliens.”
Not only is the current administration correct in deporting as a matter of course, but there is enough support nationwide for this agenda. What is inappropriate is the tendency for this administration to revel in it. Illegal immigration is a serious matter. There is no room for flippancy.
On Monday, the White House X account posted a video compilation showing people protesting the ICE raids. The 21-second video shows several individuals being handcuffed, chased, and pinned to the ground. Accompanying the video is pop star Sabrina Carpenter’s song “Juno,” which includes the lyrics, “Wanna try out some freaky positions / Have you ever tried this one?”
Carpenter replied to the post, saying, “This video is evil and disgusting. Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda.”
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson then responded to Carpenter with a play on her lyrics from another song, saying, “We won’t apologize for deporting dangerous criminal illegal murderers, rapists, and pedophiles from our country. Anyone who would defend these sick monsters must be stupid, or is it slow?”
It’s exhausting. Most of all, it’s so unnecessary. With the current political dynamic, we’re supposed to pick one side in an argument and say they’re unequivocally right. But that is faulty reasoning.
While Carpenter may not be openly political, it’s safe to say she’s on the Left. She says the administration has an “inhumane” agenda, but following laws and holding illegal immigrants and criminals accountable is not inhumane. What Carpenter is right in rejecting is the use of her song, especially one about bedroom antics and sex positions, as background music for what is a serious campaign against wrongdoing.
On the other side is the White House. This administration is doing what the previous one refused to do: forcefully addressing illegal immigration. It’s a problem with far-reaching consequences. It affects our economy, housing, healthcare, education, and legal system. Addressing it is imperative. Since it’s so important, why make light of it, especially in a way that makes the White House look like it’s desperate to appeal to Generation Z as they collectively doom scroll? At the very least, it won’t win the administration more converts. In fact, it might push more people away. It’s a bad, juvenile look that seems to have come from a 20-year-old intern.
With midterm elections now less than a year away, President Donald Trump and his team can’t afford many missteps. These things, though they seem small, have a broad impact. As silly as it is, this post is the kind of thing that might make voters less likely to support the GOP at a crucial juncture. Trump only has a short time to make his case to the American people. There’s no use adding to the nonsense. There is every reason to show serious enforcement of our laws when it comes not only to apprehending illegal immigrants but also to arresting protesters who cross the line and break the law.
SABRINA CARPENTER CONDEMNS ‘EVIL AND DISGUSTING’ USE OF SONG BY WHITE HOUSE
Laws should be respected. And those who implement said laws must do so with evenhandedness. The same applies to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s post on social media mocking the boat strike controversy with an image of a children’s book. There is simply no reason for it.
When former President Joe Biden was inaugurated, pundits proclaimed that “the adults are back in the room.” But Biden was far too lax in areas where strength is required. The adults were not present during the last administration. This new administration has the opportunity to apply laws correctly and fix Biden’s mess. But it must be done with dignity. That’s not too much to ask.
Kimberly Ross (@SouthernKeeks) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog and a contributor to the Magnolia Tribune.
