White House uses sarcastic TikTok meme in ICE deportation video; what is Jet2 holiday?
The official White House Instagram and X accounts shared a deportation video with a bright, joyful pop song playing in the background, while lines of downcast, handcuffed men boarded a deportation plane.
The song, known online as the Jet2 Holiday meme, is often used to poke fun at travel misadventures.
Thousands of users instantly commented on the clip, which features a cameo by President Donald Trump smiling and giving a thumbs up.
"Never thought I’d see the official White House account mock people being deported," user Sukhveer Warring wrote.
"Had to double, and then triple check, at who posted this," British journalist Will Lancaster posted. "Lost for words," he added.
Some users found it humorous and commented with laughing emojis. Others responded by posting pictures of Trump alongside convicted sexual offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The video also shows a screenshot of the U.S. government app CBP Home, which allows people to self-deport.
What is the Jet2 holiday song?
The song used was "Hold My Hand" by British pop singer Jess Glynne. Since 2015, it has featured in a campaign advertising the UK-based tour operator Jet2holidays, a subsidiary of British airline Jet2.
In recent weeks, the song has regained popularity after becoming part of a viral TikTok trend in which users — sarcastically or mockingly — post videos of vacation disasters with the song playing in the background.
With 37 million likes, the most viral video using the ad song shows someone pulling open a giant curtain in what appears to be a hotel room, only to find a tiny window behind it.
The song has also been used on videos depicting floodings, adventure disasters, and boating mishaps.
Juan Carlos Castillo is a New Jersey-based trending reporter for the USA Today Network. Find him on Twitter at _JCCastillo.