{"id":7596,"date":"2025-12-03T06:05:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-03T06:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/carpenter-franklin-trump-tiff\/"},"modified":"2025-12-03T06:05:00","modified_gmt":"2025-12-03T06:05:00","slug":"carpenter-franklin-trump-tiff","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/carpenter-franklin-trump-tiff\/","title":{"rendered":"Sabrina Carpenter and Franklin the Turtle Clash with Trump Administration"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Lead:<\/strong> The use of two familiar cultural properties by U.S. government social media has sparked public outcry and a publisher protest. On 1 December the White House posted a clip using Sabrina Carpenter\u2019s song in an immigration-enforcement montage, and the U.S. Defence Department\u2019s social media account shared a mock book cover showing Franklin the Turtle firing on alleged drug traffickers. Publisher Kids Can Press condemned the Franklin image as unauthorized and violent, while Carpenter called the government\u2019s use of her music “evil and disgusting.” The incidents come amid a series of U.S. strikes on alleged Venezuelan drug boats since early September.<\/p>\n

Key takeaways<\/h2>\n
    \n
  • The White House used Sabrina Carpenter\u2019s music in a 1 December social media post tied to ICE operations; Carpenter publicly objected to the usage.<\/li>\n
  • Kids Can Press said the U.S. Defence Department\u2019s mock cover of Franklin the Turtle\u2014age six in the books\u2014depicted the character firing a large weapon and contradicted Franklin\u2019s values.<\/li>\n
  • Publisher\u2019s statement: they \u201cstrongly condemn any denigrating, violent, or unauthorized use of Franklin’s name or image.\u201d<\/li>\n
  • Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell defended the post, questioning whether Franklin would be sympathetic to drug cartels.<\/li>\n
  • These episodes follow similar pushback earlier in the year: Pok\u00e9mon denied permission for government use in September and Jess Glynne objected to a July reuse of her music.<\/li>\n
  • The images and music were used in posts tied to broader U.S. actions against alleged narcotics shipments and immigration enforcement since early September.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Background<\/h2>\n

    Franklin the Turtle originated as the central figure of a Canadian children’s book series and has become a cross-media property\u2014appearing in television, film, games and live productions. The character, depicted as a six-year-old navigating everyday challenges, is closely associated with themes of kindness, empathy and inclusivity; those are the values emphasized by publisher Kids Can Press in its response. Intellectual-property holders routinely restrict government reuse of characters and songs, and unauthorized adaptations can provoke rapid reputational pushback from rights owners and fans alike.<\/p>\n

    Musical and visual material has been repurposed in government social-media content more than once this year, drawing objections from artists and brands. In September, Pok\u00e9mon publicly stated it had not authorized use of its theme and footage in an ICE deportation video; in July, singer Jess Glynne criticized officials for reusing an advert that featured her music in the context of deportations. Those precedents set the stage for the high-visibility disputes involving Sabrina Carpenter\u2019s music and the Franklin depiction.<\/p>\n

    Main event<\/h2>\n

    The Franklin incident involved a social-media post attributed to Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth\u2019s account that presented a faux book cover: Franklin in a military helicopter firing a large weapon at suspected drug boats, under the mock title “Franklin Targets Narco Terrorists.” Kids Can Press issued a public rebuke, saying the violent depiction was unauthorized and inconsistent with the brand\u2019s values. The publisher framed the image as a misuse of a children\u2019s icon and demanded respect for the intellectual property and the character\u2019s message.<\/p>\n

    Separately, the White House reposted a video on 1 December that paired footage of ICE operations with a lyric from Sabrina Carpenter\u2019s song \u201cJuno.\u201d Carpenter responded on social media, describing the government\u2019s use of her music in a deportation context as “evil and disgusting,” and demanding her work not be used to support what she characterized as an inhumane policy. Her post drew immediate media attention and public debate about artists\u2019 control over how their work is repurposed.<\/p>\n

    The Pentagon defended the Franklin post through spokesperson Sean Parnell, who questioned whether the turtle would sympathize with drug cartels and treated the depiction as commentary on narco-violence. Publishers, creators and artists noted they had not been contacted for permission. The original creators of Franklin did not respond to requests for comment, according to reporting on the matter.<\/p>\n

    Analysis & implications<\/h2>\n

    At the legal level, these episodes highlight tensions between government communications and third-party intellectual-property rights. Unauthorized use can expose agencies to takedown demands, cease-and-desist notices, and reputational risk, even when the agency claims the use is rhetorical or satirical. Public relations costs may outweigh any short-term messaging benefit when well-known family brands or pop artists are perceived as being co-opted into political narratives.<\/p>\n

    Politically, repurposing children\u2019s characters and pop songs for messaging tied to enforcement or military actions changes how those actions are perceived by the public. Such juxtapositions can dilute the moral clarity of a children\u2019s brand and may harden opposition among audiences who view the use as trivializing serious topics like deportation or lethal strikes. That dynamic can produce bipartisan discomfort: objections have come from rights holders and artists irrespective of their political affiliations.<\/p>\n

    Internationally, a Canadian publisher objecting to a U.S. Defence Department post creates a cross-border cultural-friction point. While the substantive dispute is over copyright and brand image, the diplomatic layer matters because cultural icons function as soft-power assets; their misuse risks complicating cultural relations and invites scrutiny from foreign regulators or media. Looking ahead, agencies may face increased pressure to clear rights before posting or to limit reuse to materials in the public domain or their own archives.<\/p>\n

    Comparison & data<\/h2>\n
    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
    Month<\/th>\nAsset<\/th>\nGovernment use<\/th>\nPublic outcome<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
    July<\/td>\nJess Glynne (song)<\/td>\nReused in a travel-ad clip repurposed for deportation messaging<\/td>\nArtist protest, public criticism<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    September<\/td>\nPok\u00e9mon theme & footage<\/td>\nUsed in ICE deportation video<\/td>\nPok\u00e9mon denied permission publicly<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    1 December<\/td>\nSabrina Carpenter (song “Juno”)<\/td>\nPaired with ICE operations video<\/td>\nArtist condemnation, media coverage<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Recent<\/td>\nFranklin the Turtle (book character)<\/td>\nMock book cover showing military action<\/td>\nPublisher condemnation, Pentagon defense<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n

    These cases suggest a pattern of government accounts repurposing commercial songs and imagery in enforcement and security messaging. The table underscores recurring outcomes: quick public disputes, statements of non-authorization, and reputational fallout. Agencies now face a predictable sequence from reuse to rights-holder objection, increasing the operational cost of informal social-media tactics.<\/p>\n

    Reactions & quotes<\/h2>\n

    Publishers and artists framed their objections in terms of unauthorized use and misalignment with their values. Kids Can Press emphasized Franklin\u2019s role as a children\u2019s icon and the inconsistency of violent depictions with the franchise\u2019s message.<\/p>\n

    \n

    We strongly condemn any denigrating, violent, or unauthorized use of Franklin’s name or image.<\/p>\n

    Kids Can Press (publisher)<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    Sabrina Carpenter\u2019s response focused on the moral and reputational implications of using her music in enforcement-related content; she demanded disassociation from the government\u2019s policy aims.<\/p>\n

    \n

    “Evil and disgusting. Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda.”<\/p>\n

    Sabrina Carpenter (artist)<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    The Pentagon offered a defensive framing, rejecting the characterization that the post misused a children\u2019s character and arguing the depiction was intended to comment on narco-violence.<\/p>\n

    \n

    “We doubt Franklin the Turtle wants to be inclusive of drug cartels… or laud the kindness and empathy of narco-terrorists.”<\/p>\n

    Sean Parnell (Pentagon spokesperson)<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    \n