Taylor Swift's music has been stripped from social media videos posted by Donald Trump's campaign and the White House, effectively silencing recent attempts to mock the pop superstar. The removal comes after a series of posts that used her songs as background music, including a video featuring Trump and first lady Melania Trump watching fireworks, which was shared on TikTok this month with Swift's song "August."
The original post, dated 3 August, included the caption: "I'm sure @Taylor Swift is going to be super excited we used her song! #taylorswift #maga #august." Another post from Trump's campaign referenced Swift's 2012 album "Red," quipping, "Did you know Taylor Swift wrote a whole album about the color of the Republican party?" and suggesting parody track titles. Both videos now play without audio.
Pattern of using pop music as 'rage bait'
Trump-related social media accounts have frequently used songs by popular artists in campaign videos, often to provoke reactions. Besides Swift, the accounts have featured music from Ariana Grande, Katy Perry, Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Rodrigo, and Kenny Loggins. Many of these artists have publicly objected to the unauthorized use of their music.
For instance, after the White House posted a video with Grande's music over footage of ICE agents detaining people, Grande wrote: "Please do not use my music in relation to this barbaric, inhumane, heinous nonsense." Similarly, when Carpenter's song was used in a 2025 video about immigration raids, she called it "evil and disgusting" and demanded her music not be used for an "inhumane agenda."
Swift's silence and Trump's past attacks
Swift has not publicly commented on the removal of her songs. However, Trump has previously attacked her, especially after she endorsed Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election. At the time, Trump declared "I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!" and later wrote, "Has anyone noticed that, since I said 'I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT,' she's no longer 'HOT?'"
Despite the political friction, Swift's career continues to soar. Her Eras tour became the highest-grossing tour of all time, according to Pollstar, generating approximately $2.2 billion worldwide. Additionally, her album "The Life of a Showgirl" became the most pre-saved album ever on Spotify ahead of its October 2025 release.
Broader context of unauthorized music use
The removal of Swift's songs from these posts highlights a recurring issue of political campaigns using music without permission. Artists often object to such usage, citing alignment with their values or the inappropriateness of the context. In this case, the posts were seen as attempts to use Swift's music for "rage bait," a tactic to provoke strong reactions from supporters and opponents alike.
As of now, it remains unclear whether Swift's team directly requested the removal or if the platforms took action independently. The White House and Trump campaign have not commented on the changes.
