Olivia Rodrigo Slams Trump for ‘Defunding’ Planned Parenthood: ‘We’ll Never Stop Fighting’
Olivia Rodrigo has publicly criticised US President Donald Trump over the "defunding" of Planned Parenthood, using a dance video posted to the social media accounts of her upcoming all-female music festival, Daisy Chain Fields. The video highlights that nearly 30 Planned Parenthood health centres have closed since Trump signed legislation cutting the organisation's funding, before the singer and other women are shown dancing in defiance, declaring they will "never stop fighting" for sexual and reproductive healthcare. The intervention adds to Rodrigo's history of vocal support for reproductive rights and further strains her public relationship with the president.
The funding cuts stem from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which Trump signed into law on 4 July 2025, defunding Planned Parenthood alongside reductions to federal Medicaid healthcare funding. Rodrigo, who received Planned Parenthood's Catalyst of Change Award in 2025, had already clashed with the White House in June after it used her music to promote US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which she condemned as "awful and barbaric and cruel." Notably, Trump had previously praised Planned Parenthood in 2016, saying it had "done very good work for many, many… millions of women," marking a reversal from his current stance.
In short
- Olivia Rodrigo criticises Trump over Planned Parenthood funding cuts in a video
- Nearly 30 Planned Parenthood centres have closed since the 2025 law
- Rodrigo previously condemned White House's use of her music to promote ICE
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Advocates for defunding argue that a significant portion of taxpayers hold genuine moral convictions that abortion is wrong, and that government funding should not support practices they believe are immoral. They contend that Planned Parenthood's various healthcare services—though valuable—can be provided by alternative healthcare systems, including federally qualified health centres and community clinics, without requiring subsidisation of an organisation whose involvement in abortion provision troubles substantial numbers of citizens on principle.
The case against
Critics of the defunding emphasise that Planned Parenthood provides essential healthcare services—including cancer screenings, contraception, and sexually transmitted infection testing—to millions of Americans, particularly low-income women who lack alternative access. They argue that defunding reduces healthcare access for vulnerable populations despite federal funds already being prohibited from financing abortion procedures, and that the closure of nearly 30 centres represents a real loss of medical infrastructure affecting communities that depend on these services.
Explained simply
Planned Parenthood is a US organisation that provides reproductive and sexual healthcare, including contraception, screening and abortion services. It also runs health centres and receives some public funding, including through Medicaid, a government health programme for people on lower incomes and some other groups.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law in July 2025, cut federal funding for Planned Parenthood and reduced Medicaid funding. The organisation and its supporters say the changes affect access to care; the law’s supporters have argued for restricting public funding to the organisation.
Olivia Rodrigo is a US singer who has spoken publicly in support of reproductive rights and received Planned Parenthood’s Catalyst of Change Award in 2025. Her criticism sits within a wider dispute over the organisation’s role and public funding, and follows an earlier disagreement with the White House over its use of her music.
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