Pop stars have objected before to White House use of their music

Some of Taylor Swift’s songs have been removed from videos posted on social media by Donald Trump’s campaign and the White House, The Guardian reported. The episodes are part of a recurring dynamic in which Trump-related accounts have used songs by popular musicians in political posts — a practice The Guardian described as “rage bait” — and artists have responded with public objections.

A video posted Aug. 3 featuring the president and first lady Melania Trump watching fireworks was shared on TikTok set to Swift’s song “August,” with accompanying text reading, “I’m sure @Taylor Swift is going to be super excited we used her song! #taylorswift #maga #august.” Trump’s campaign later published another post referencing the title of her 2012 album, noting, “Did you know Taylor Swift wrote a whole album about the color of the Republican party?” and suggesting parody track titles.

Both videos are now silent, according to The Guardian. Several other campaign videos that used Swift’s music have also lost their sound.

Swift has not commented on the removals. The moves follow her endorsement of then-Democratic vice-president Kamala Harris during the 2024 election, which drew an angry response from Trump. “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!” he declared at the time. In a post last year he wrote, “Has anyone noticed that, since I said ‘I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT,’ she’s no longer ‘HOT?’”

Trump-related accounts have also featured music from Ariana Grande, Katy Perry, Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Rodrigo and Kenny Loggins in campaign videos, and all of those artists publicly objected to the use of their music. After the White House posted her music over a montage of ICE agents handcuffing and detaining people, Grande wrote, “Please do not use my music in relation to this barbaric, inhumane, heinous nonsense.” When the White House used one of Carpenter’s songs to soundtrack a video of immigration raids in 2025, Carpenter wrote: “this video is evil and disgusting. Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda.”

Swift’s Eras tour was the highest-grossing tour of all time, according to Pollstar, generating about $2.2bn worldwide. Her album The Life of a Showgirl became the most pre-saved album ever on Spotify ahead of its October 2025 release.