Taylor Swift’s music is once again at the centre of a clash with Donald Trump’s administration after her song “August” was removed from a TikTok video posted by the Trump campaign. Days later, another Swift track, “I Bet You Think About Me,” was also muted in a White House TikTok, extending a growing string of incidents involving the singer’s music and Trump linked social media accounts.
The first controversy erupted after the Team Trump TikTok account posted a video showing Donald Trump and Melania Trump watching fireworks, with Swift’s 2020 song “August” playing in the background. The post was accompanied by a pointed caption aimed directly at the pop star: “I’m sure @Taylor Swift is going to be super excited we used her song.”
The audio did not remain for long. The track was subsequently muted or removed from the video, with TikTok indicating that the sound was unavailable because the copyright owner had not made it available for the relevant use. Importantly, Swift has not publicly confirmed that she personally ordered the removal.
The incident was not an isolated one. A Team Trump video featuring “Father Figure”, posted in November 2025, also later lost its audio. Other Swift songs, including “Opalite,” have similarly disappeared or been muted in Trump related posts.
The dispute moved beyond the campaign account this week. On August 13, a White House TikTok featuring Trump used Swift’s “I Bet You Think About Me”, from Red (Taylor’s Version). The video showed Trump greeting crowds and was paired with the message, “We know you think about us.” Within hours, the song was muted and removed from that post, although the track remained available as a TikTok sound elsewhere.
Swift’s silence throughout the episodes has also attracted attention. She has not issued a public statement specifically addressing the removals, leaving the copyright mechanisms and changes to the posts to speak for themselves.
The latest developments add another chapter to the complicated relationship between Swift and Trump. The singer endorsed Kamala Harris during the 2024 presidential election, while Trump has repeatedly criticised Swift publicly.
For now, the pattern is clear Trump linked accounts may continue reaching for Swift’s catalogue, but the songs have repeatedly disappeared from the posts afterward.
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