Semisonic Slams White House for Using “Closing Time” in Controversial Deportation Video

The White House is catching heat from Semisonic after using their 1998 hit “Closing Time” in a social media video about deportations, without the band’s permission.

The clip, shared on official White House accounts, shows a man in handcuffs being escorted by border patrol agents as other individuals are loaded onto a plane. In the background, the chorus of Closing Time plays, with lead singer Dan Wilson’s voice ringing out: “You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here.”

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While the song has long been associated with bars and parties shutting down for the night, Wilson originally wrote it about the birth of his daughter, far from the immigration policy statement the White House seemed to be making.

Semisonic wasted no time calling out the Trump administration for using the track without consent, saying in a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter: “We did not authorize or condone the White House’s use of our song 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.”

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.

— Semisonic (@SemisonicBand) March 17, 2025