United States of America

Swift Songs Pulled From Trump TikToks Over Copyright

Is Trump's team trolling Taylor Swift with her own music a petty misstep or a justified clap back in a feud she helped start?

AUG 10·Updated AUG 11

Swift Songs Pulled From Trump TikToks Over Copyright

Story

Above: Taylor Swift attends a Gala in New York City, June 11. Image credit: TheStewartofNY/WireImage/Getty Images

The Facts

Multiple Taylor Swift songs have been removed from TikTok videos posted by President Donald Trump's campaign and the White House, with affected posts now displaying notices that the audio is unavailable due to a copyright claim or has been made unavailable by the copyright owner.
RNZ
I24News
A Team Trump TikTok video posted Aug. 3 showing Trump and first lady Melania Trump watching fireworks originally featured Swift's 2020 track "August." Its caption read, "I'm sure @Taylor Swift is going to be super excited we used her song!"
Entertainment Weekly
The Washington Times
Swift's song "Father Figure," from her 2025 album "The Life of a Showgirl," was also removed from a Team Trump TikTok video posted in November 2025. Several other Swift tracks, including "The Fate of Ophelia," have similarly disappeared from White House and campaign posts.
The Hill
Variety
In June, the Trump campaign posted a TikTok video featuring Swift's "Toy Story 5" song "I Knew It, I Knew You," showing Trump with children at the White House, at a UFC event and at a rally. In April, the White House used Swift's "High Infidelity" in a video of the Artemis II crew meeting Trump.
Reuters
Independent
Swift has not publicly commented on the removal of her songs from Trump-related posts. Neither Swift's representatives nor the White House immediately responded to requests for comment from multiple news outlets.
Saudigazette
Devdiscourse
Dozens of other artists, including Ariana Grande, Sabrina Carpenter and Katy Perry, have objected to the Trump administration's use of their music. Grande posted, "Please do not use my music in relation to this barbaric, inhumane, heinous nonsense," after her song was used over footage of ICE detentions.
AOL
usatoday.com

Sources Split

LEFT

CENTER

RIGHT

ESTAB
CRIT

CENTER

PRO
ESTAB

The Spin

Anti-Trump narrative

Using Taylor Swift's music without permission while publicly declaring hatred for her is a self-defeating move that exposes the pettiness behind the Trump team's social media strategy. Baiting artists with their own songs is trolling, and copyright law ultimately wins. When even pop culture refuses to play along, that says plenty about where this administration stands with the broader public.

Guardian

Substack

Occupy Democrats on Youtube

Pro-Trump narrative

Swift has spent years using her massive platform to push progressive politics, from endorsing Harris in 2024 to pressuring senators on the Equality Act — so acting shocked that the Trump team justifiably trolled her back is selective outrage. Copyright enforcement is the latest chapter in a long-running political feud she helped start. Swift's influence is real, but so is the fact that her fan base crosses party lines regardless of her activism.

FOX News