A White House TikTok video posted Wednesday using a Taylor Swift track has been muted, the latest escalation in an ongoing copyright dispute between the singer and President Donald Trump’s social media operation.
The video, uploaded Aug. 12, 2026, featured Swift’s song “I Bet You Think About Me” with the caption “We know you think about us.” By Aug. 13, the audio had been removed and replaced with “I Love You, I’m Sorry” by Gracie Abrams.
The White House has acknowledged deliberately provoking artists and their fans to drive engagement, with some choices now becoming personal. President Donald Trump referenced Swift by name at a press conference just days after her wedding to Travis Kelce.
Copyright Complaints Silence Multiple Posts
Swift has taken action to strip her music from numerous videos shared by the Trump campaign and official White House accounts, with several TikTok clips now playing silently after copyright enforcement.
The campaign posted a video on Aug. 3, showing President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump viewing fireworks while Swift’s “August” played. The caption read: “I’m sure @Taylor Swift is going to be super excited we used her song! #taylorswift #maga #august.” A separate clip mocked Swift by questioning whether her supporters knew she had titled an entire 2012 album “Red,” the Republican Party’s defining color. Audio on both clips has since been removed following complaints.
Older campaign content featuring “Father Figure” and “The Fate of Ophelia,” both from Swift’s 2025 album “The Life of a Showgirl,” has also been stripped of its music.
Repeated Use of Swift’s Catalog
Trump’s team has drawn from Swift’s discography repeatedly. A June post used “I Knew It, I Knew You,” her “Toy Story 5” soundtrack contribution, over footage of Trump with children at various events including the White House, a UFC appearance, and a rally. In April, the White House deployed “High Infidelity” in footage showing Trump meeting the Artemis II astronauts, referencing the song’s lyric, “Do you really want to know where I was April 29th?”
The administration posted a TikTok set to “The Fate of Ophelia” in November 2025, one month after “The Life of a Showgirl” was released. That clip displayed the American flag, national monuments, and Trump images including his 2023 arrest mugshot, triggering widespread social media backlash. A White House spokesperson said at the time that officials created the content expecting news organizations would “breathlessly amplify them.”
Long-Standing Political Opposition
Swift has remained publicly silent on the current copyright battle, but her political stance against Trump is well established. During the 2020 election cycle, she posted on social media that Trump knew Americans did not want him as president. She endorsed his Democratic rival, then-Vice President Kamala Harris, in the 2024 race.
Trump has reciprocated with years of public criticism. Following Swift’s 2024 endorsement of Harris, he declared on social media that he hates Swift. He subsequently questioned whether his attack had damaged her reputation, asking if anyone noticed she was no longer considered “HOT” after he voiced his opinion.
Widespread Artist Objections
Dozens of musicians have protested the administration’s unauthorized use of their work. Ariana Grande called the conduct barbaric and inhumane after the White House set ICE detention footage to her music. Sabrina Carpenter described a video evil and disgusting when her songs accompanied 2025 immigration raid imagery, objecting to her music supporting what she termed an inhumane agenda.
Katy Perry, Olivia Rodrigo, and Kenny Loggins have also objected to their songs appearing in Trump administration posts. The communications team has paired popular tracks with footage from border enforcement operations, U.S. strikes on Iran, and clips showing Venezuela’s former leader Nicolás Maduro being held in custody.
The Village People’s “YMCA” has become a staple at Trump campaign rallies, extending the practice beyond digital platforms.
Swift’s Record-Breaking Success
The controversy surrounds one of music’s most dominant commercial forces. Industry tracker Pollstar certified Swift’s Eras Tour as the highest-grossing concert tour in history, generating approximately $2.2 billion globally. “The Life of a Showgirl,” released in October 2025, shattered Spotify’s record for advance saves prior to its debut.
Swift broke years of silence on partisan politics during the 2018 midterm elections. The administration has not signaled whether it will alter its social media music strategy despite mounting artist complaints and the expanding silence across its TikTok presence.
