The White House and the Trump campaign recently removed several Taylor Swift tracks from social media videos after the clips drew public scrutiny and objections from other artists. Multiple TikTok posts over recent months — including a June clip using Swift's 'Toy Story 5' song — prompted reaction and media coverage. The removals followed widespread attention to a November White House video that paired Swift's music with images of President Trump.
Taylor Swift Tracks Pulled From White House And Trump Campaign Social Posts After Backlash
FILE PHOTO: Taylor Swift performs as her record-breaking The Eras Tour comes to an end with the first of her three concerts in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada December 6, 2024. REUTERS/Jennifer Gauthier/File Photo
Several Taylor Swift songs were removed from social media videos posted recently by President Donald Trump's campaign and the White House after the clips drew public attention and objections from artists. The removals follow multiple uses of Swift's music across TikTok and other short-video posts over the past year.
What Happened
The White House and Trump campaign used Swift tracks in at least three separate videos in recent months, prompting reaction from fans, other musicians and news outlets. A White House spokesperson and a representative for Taylor Swift did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Notable Uses
June: The Trump campaign posted a TikTok using Swift's new 'Toy Story 5' song 'I Knew It, I Knew You,' showing moments of the president with children, at a UFC event and on the campaign trail. The clip was captioned: 'Nobody loves our country & the American People more than @President Donald J Trump.'
Within the last week: The campaign published another TikTok that riffed on Swift song titles and lyrics, pairing them with captions referencing immigration and administration critics.
FILE PHOTO: Taylor Swift performs as her record-breaking The Eras Tour comes to an end with the first of her three concerts in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada December 6, 2024. REUTERS/Jennifer Gauthier/File Photo
April: The White House posted a video of the Artemis II crew visiting the president that used Swift's 'High Infidelity' and quoted the lyric 'Do you really want to know where I was April 29th?'
November: A White House TikTok used Swift's 'The Fate of Ophelia' alongside images of U.S. flags, monuments and photos of Trump — including his 2023 arrest mugshot — drawing wide attention. A White House spokesperson later said the clip was created in part because the administration expected news organizations 'would breathlessly amplify them.'
Reactions and Removals
Dozens of artists, including Sabrina Carpenter and Ariana Grande, publicly urged the administration not to use their music in political or campaign material. Trump has publicly criticized Swift in the past; after she endorsed then-Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024, he posted 'I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!' on social media.
The recent removals appear to be a response to public scrutiny and objections from artists, although officials have not provided a detailed explanation for each takedown.
Context: The communications operation for the Trump campaign has frequently paired popular songs with imagery tied to policy actions and events, including immigration enforcement, U.S. military activity and high-profile arrests.
The episode highlights ongoing tensions between artists who object to the political use of their work and campaigns or governmental accounts that adopt popular music to shape messaging on social platforms.
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