On December 2, 2025, pop singer Sabrina Carpenter and Kids Can Press, the publisher of the children's character Franklin the Turtle, publicly condemned the Trump administration's use of their music and imagery for political messaging. Carpenter criticized the incorporation of her song "Juno" in a video depicting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids, describing the video as "evil and disgusting" and asserting that her work should not be associated with what she termed an inhumane agenda.

In a separate incident, Kids Can Press expressed disapproval of a social media post by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, which featured a manipulated image of Franklin the Turtle aiming a bazooka at boats, captioned "Franklin Targets Narco Terrorists." The publisher emphasized their opposition to any violent or unauthorized use of Franklin's name or image, stating that such actions contradict the character's core values.

The Trump administration's military operations in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean, targeting small boats suspected of drug trafficking, have resulted in over 80 fatalities since early September. This situation reflects a broader trend where numerous artists, including ABBA, Bruce Springsteen, and Rihanna, have raised concerns about the administration's use of their copyrighted material for political purposes, highlighting the ethical implications of such appropriations in the context of state aggression and militarism.