Jack Antonoff was one of many stars wearing an “ICE Out” pin at Sunday’s Grammy Awards, but his mealy-mouthed explanation for doing so is being dragged online.
The pins ― also worn by Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Joni Mitchell and others ― are a denouncement of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers’ actions, particularly in Minneapolis, where two residents have been fatally shot by federal agents amid President Donald Trump’s crackdown on immigrants.
Speaking to Variety on the Grammys red carpet, however, Antonoff seemed to have trouble articulating the pin’s message.
“It’s terrible, you know,” the Bleachers singer and longtime Taylor Swift collaborator said, when asked why he felt wearing the pin was important. “I mean, it’s time to … it’s just … for every reason you could imagine, I would think.”
He then shrugged before noting he was a “bit speechless trying to even talk about it.”
When Variety’s reporter encouraged him to offer more clarification, Antonoff remained vague.
“It’s just a really good time for people to come together and figure out how to move through this,” he said. “Because it’s only gonna be small communities that can really help.”
Footage of Antonoff’s interview drew heavy criticism on social media.
“If you are supporting a cause you need to be able to explicitly talk about it and explain your support, how will people come together and move through something that is not being named?” one person wrote on X. “You are not raising awareness by just wearing a pin if you can’t say what is going on.”
Added another: “He doesn’t even know what he’s standing or fighting for.. like do your research.”
On Reddit, many shared similar sentiments, with one user accusing Antonoff of demonstrating “peak ‘brand safe allyship’ energy.”
“He’s saying just enough so he can’t be dragged, but not enough to actually risk anything or move the needle,” the person wrote. “I’m tired of watching celebs treat genocide like a PR tightrope instead of a moral line in the sand.”
It’s possible Antonoff, who picked up two awards Sunday, was just momentarily tongue-tied. Still, his remarks were particularly striking in comparison with those of Bad Bunny and Billie Eilish, who used their acceptance speeches to make bold statements against ICE, and Kehlani, who said she’d considered wearing a pin with a more explicitly worded version of the message.
Trump, meanwhile, has yet to publicly acknowledge the pins, but nonetheless deemed the Grammys “terrible” in a lengthy post on his Truth Social platform. Much of his criticisms were leveled at host Trevor Noah, who took several jabs at the president during the ceremony.
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