Is The White House Trolling Itself?

Or maybe there is a rogue intern at work?

Since many readers are unlikely to be following the White House twitter account, I just had to share their latest post. You cannot make this shit up.

At a paltry 18.7k views it’s hardly breaking the internet, but that makes it no less astonishing. Built on the (Freudian slip?) of NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte calling 47 “Daddy” in a press conference, the White House produced a video featuring clips from that summit set to the soundtrack of an Usher song that I will charitably call vulgar. Judge for yourself, here are the lyrics:

Hey Daddy (Daddy’s Home)

[Intro]
Usher, baby

[Verse 1: Usher]
I just wanna get your attention (Hey girl)
I really wanna be all up in your head (Turn the lights on)
Yeah, 'cause what I got, you go wanna get some, uh, yeah
But, girl, that's only if you ain't scared (Baby)

[Pre-Chorus: Usher]
And I won't knock, won't ring no bells
You just float that bottom up in the air
Uh, I'll get you hot, I know you, oh, so well
And when I walk in, all that I wanna hear

[Chorus: Usher & Ladies]
Is you say, "Daddy's home, home for me"
And I know you've been waiting for this lovin' all day
You know your daddy's home and it's time to play, yeah
So you ain't got to give my lovin' away
So all my ladies, say, "Hey, hey, hey, daddy"
Hey, hey, hey, daddy
So all my ladies, say, "Hey, hey, hey, daddy"
Hey, hey, hey, daddy (Hey, it's your time)

[Verse 2: Usher]
I ain't gotta do a lot of flexing (Uh-huh)
Shorty, you already know what it is
Ha, and girl, tonight we gonna do a lot of sexin', yeah
Can't nobody do your body like me

[Pre-Chorus: Usher]
Oh, I won't knock, won't ring no bells, yeah
You just float that bottom up in the air
Said I'll get you hot, I know you, oh, so well
And when I walk in, all that I wanna hear (Oh)

[Chorus: Usher & Ladies]
Is you say, "Daddy's home, home for me"
And I know you've been waiting for this lovin' all day
You know your daddy's home, it's time to play
So you ain't got to give my lovin' away
So all my ladies, say, "Hey, hey, hey, daddy" (Daddy know what you like)
Hey, hey, hey, daddy (Oh, daddy know what you like, yeah)
So all my ladies, say, "Hey, hey, hey, daddy"
Hey, hey, hey, daddy (Oh, yeah)

[Bridge: Usher & Ladies]
Poke it on out, poke it out right there
I'ma fall back while you work that chair
Do your damn thing, let the neighbors hear, yeah
Hey, hey, hey, daddy
Poke it on out, poke it out right there
I'ma fall back and let you work that chair
Do your damn thing, all I wanna hear

[Chorus: Usher & Ladies]
Is you say, "Daddy's home, oh! Home for me"
And I know you've been waiting for this lovin' all day
Your daddy's home, it's time to play, yeah
Eh-eh, now baby, you ain't got to give my lovin' away, yeah
"Daddy's home, home for me"
And I know you've been waiting for this lovin' all day
You know your daddy's home and it's time to play
So you ain't got to give my lovin' away
So all my ladies, say, "Hey, hey, hey, daddy" (Hey! Hey-hey)
Hey, hey, hey, daddy (Calling me daddy, babe)
So all my ladies, say, "Hey, hey, hey, daddy" (Uh, daddy know what you like)
Hey, hey, hey, daddy
So all my ladies, say, "Hey, hey, hey, daddy"
Hey, hey, hey, daddy
So all my ladies, say, "Hey, hey, hey, daddy"
Hey, hey, hey, daddy (Hey, daddy know what you like, yeah)

Presidential dignity has been on life support for some time now but not so presidential hubris. Internet wags especially appreciated that the clip of 47 shaking hands with President Zelensky of Ukraine coincided with the line “Shorty, you already know what it is.” In the song, Shorty is the girl who wants Daddy to… enough said.

Screenshot from video of July 14 parade - these ain’t no senators’ sons. Source: News 18 “Looks like prisoners of war are marching”

It’s far from the first example of political actors using popular songs with lyrics that are inconsistent with their communications goals. Many noted the use of John Fogarty’s “Fortunate Son” at the military parade in DC earlier this month. Here are those lyrics:

Fortunate Son

Some folks are born made to wave the flag
Ooh, they're red, white and blue
And when the band plays "Hail To The Chief"
Ooh, they point the cannon at you, Lord

It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no senator's son, son
It ain't me, it ain't me; I ain't no fortunate one, no

Some folks are born silver spoon in hand
Lord, don't they help themselves, oh
But when the taxman come to the door
Lord, the house lookin' like a rummage sale, yeah

It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no millionaire's son, no, no
It ain't me, it ain't me; I ain't no fortunate one, no

Yeah!
Some folks inherit star-spangled eyes
Ooh, they send you down to war, Lord
And when you ask 'em, "How much should we give?"
Ooh, they only answer, "More! More! More!" Yo

It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no military son, son
It ain't me, it ain't me; I ain't no fortunate one, one

It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no fortunate one, no no no
It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no fortunate son, no no no
It ain't me, it ain't me

Using this song may demonstrate that the Pentagon continues its PR campaign to rehabilitate the hugely unpopular Vietnam War by using music from that era, or that no one in 47’s administration is capable of close reading. Or inclined to bother trying. It’s all just optics anyway, right? As ephemeral as tomorrow’s blooper reel.

Onward!