Several songs by Taylor Swift have been taken down from social media videos associated with Donald Trump’s campaign and the White House, reigniting a longstanding political rivalry between the acclaimed artist and the U.S. president.
In recent days, the Trump campaign utilized a selection of Swift’s well-known tracks in TikTok videos, including hit songs from both her earlier and more recent albums. Notably, her 2020 single “August” was featured in a video where Trump and First Lady Melania Trump were shown enjoying a fireworks display. The campaign’s social media account seemed to acknowledge the contentious nature of using her music by tagging Swift and implying that she would be “super excited” about the usage. However, the audio from that post has since been removed.
In addition to “August,” other songs like “Father Figure” and “Opalite” have also been deleted from Trump-related TikTok posts, with additional tracks vanishing from both White House and campaign content. Some videos that included the removed music now show notifications indicating that the sound is unavailable due to copyright claims or has been taken down by the copyright holder.
Neither Swift nor the White House has provided an immediate response to inquiries regarding the situation. There has been no public clarification from Swift about whether she authorized the removal of the music.
The song removals have drawn attention due to Swift’s history with Trump, who frequently incorporates popular music to energize his supporters, despite her vocal opposition to him. Throughout the 2024 election campaign, Trump shared AI-generated images that inaccurately suggested Swift and her fans were endorsing him, prompting her to clearly state her voting intentions.
This latest incident occurs amidst broader tensions between the Trump administration and various musicians concerning the political appropriation of their work. Artists such as Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter have expressed their disapproval of having their music associated with Trump or his administration.
Swift’s political engagement has evolved significantly over the years. For much of her early career, she maintained a nonpartisan stance, but this changed in 2018 when she publicly endorsed Democratic candidates in her home state of Tennessee, criticizing Republican Marsha Blackburn. Swift stated that she had previously hesitated to express her political views but felt compelled to do so due to personal experiences and national events. Blackburn ultimately won the election against Bredesen.
During Trump’s first term, Swift became increasingly vocal, especially following the killing of George Floyd in May 2020, when she accused Trump of exacerbating racial tensions and declared, “We will vote you out in November.” Later that year, she officially endorsed Democratic candidates Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, expressing that their leadership could initiate a much-needed healing process for the nation.
As the 2024 presidential campaign unfolded, Swift initially kept a low profile but later joined numerous other celebrities in endorsing Kamala Harris after her debate with Trump. In a message to her substantial Instagram audience, Swift expressed her support for Harris, emphasizing the need for a “warrior” to advocate for important rights and causes. She referred to Harris as a “steady-handed, gifted leader” and asserted that the U.S. could achieve more under a government characterized by “calm and not chaos.”
Swift humorously signed her endorsement as “Taylor Swift, Childless Cat Lady,” referencing previous controversial remarks made by Trump’s running mate, JD Vance. Trump’s reaction was swift and hostile; he publicly stated, “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!” on social media following her endorsement. His criticisms persisted even after his return to the White House, where he mocked Swift again in 2025, questioning her appeal since he had openly expressed his disdain for her.
Despite the ongoing exchanges, Swift has largely refrained from publicly addressing Trump during his second term.
