Ariana Grande has drawn a sharp public rebuke from the White House after the singer reshared a message on Instagram questioning whether supporters of President Donald Trump have seen their lives improve during his second term, an exchange that pushed the pop star into the thick of partisan debate nine months into the administration. In an Instagram Story posted on Sunday, Grande amplified a post by podcast host Matt Bernstein that framed a direct challenge to Trump voters, while on Monday the White House responded via Deputy Press Secretary Kush Desai with a statement that quoted the title of one of Grande’s hit collaborations and argued the president’s policies had delivered economic gains.
The message Grande circulated began, “I want to check in with trump voters,” before continuing: “i have one very genuine question: it’s been 250 days. now that immigrants have been violently torn from their families and communities have been destroyed, now that trans people have been blamed for virtually everything and live in fear, now that free speech is on the brink of collapse for us all — has your life gotten better?” The post then pressed a series of pointed follow-ups: “have your groceries gotten cheaper? has your health insurance premium gone down? has your work/life balance improved? can you take a vacation yet? are you happier? has the widespread suffering of others paid off for you in the way he promised it would, or are you still waiting?” Grande did not add her own caption to the repost.
The White House statement arrived within a day. “Save your tears, Ariana. Because President Trump’s actions ended Joe Biden’s inflation crisis and are bringing in trillions in new investments,” Desai said, invoking the title “Save Your Tears” and continuing with a reference to the live-events marketplace: “He even signed an executive order just like magic that paved the way for the FTC to crack down on Ticketmaster for ripping off Ariana Grande’s concert-going fans. Get well soon, Ariana!” Entertainment industry outlets quoted the response as the administration’s formal reply to the Instagram Story.
The exchange marked one of Grande’s most overt political interventions since the 2024 election, when she publicly backed then–Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign after President Joe Biden withdrew from the race. In coverage of the Instagram repost and the White House’s reply, entertainment publications noted that Grande’s endorsement of Harris was on the record and that she has periodically used her large social media following to support causes tied to LGBTQ+ rights and to humanitarian relief.