Taylor Swift’s music has been removed from several social media videos shared by Donald Trump’s campaign and the White House, cutting off the use of her songs in political posts after they appeared without any publicly confirmed authorization from the singer or her representatives.
The posts had incorporated Swift’s music and lyrics into messaging about Trump’s presidency, immigration, patriotism and his political opponents. Recent examples included references to songs such as “Red,” “Everything Has Changed,” “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” and “The Last Time,” while earlier videos used “I Knew It, I Knew You,” “High Infidelity” and “The Fate of Ophelia,” according to Reuters.
One of the most widely discussed clips used “August” over footage of Trump and Melania Trump watching fireworks. The accompanying caption appeared to acknowledge the likelihood that Swift would disapprove of the song’s use, but the audio was later made unavailable on the post.
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Swift has not issued a recent public statement about the removals, and neither her representatives nor the White House immediately commented on the latest reports. However, her political differences with Trump have been well documented, including her endorsement of Kamala Harris during the 2024 presidential election.
The situation adds to a growing conflict between musicians and political organizations using popular songs in campaign videos and government messaging. Artists including Sabrina Carpenter and Ariana Grande have also objected to their music being connected to Trump administration content without their approval.
By removing access to the recordings, Swift has created a clear separation between her catalog and political messaging she did not publicly endorse. The muted videos also highlight the control artists and rights holders can exercise when their music is used online in ways that conflict with their image, values or intended audience.
