A TikTok video posted by Team Trump featured music from Taylor Swift’s album Folklore, specifically the track “August.” The video showed President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump watching fireworks in celebration of his presidency.
Hours after the upload, viewers noticed that the audio had disappeared from the video, according to ibtimes.com. The removal was not limited to just this one clip, as fans observed that similar audio had vanished from other Team Trump posts, according to a report from Mathrubhumi.
The video using Swift’s song “August” was not the only one affected, as a similar clip from November 2025 featuring “Father Figure” also went silent. However, not all videos using Swift’s music were taken down. A clip from just before the “August” video that used “Red” still had its audio intact.
The White House TikTok account had previously posted a video using the song “The Fate of Ophelia” without any issues, Consequence reported.
Swift’s representatives have not confirmed whether they requested the removal of the music, nor has either Swift or Trump’s team commented on the matter. Some fans interpreted the removal as a symbolic win for Swift, especially given her public support for Democratic candidates.
The political tension between Swift and Trump has been ongoing, with Trump criticizing her after she endorsed Kamala Harris in the 2024 election. In a separate incident, Trump had shared AI-generated images falsely suggesting Swift supported his campaign, including one depicting her as Uncle Sam.
Despite Trump’s dismissal of legal concerns about those images, Swift’s fans saw the removal of her music as a form of resistance. Team Trump responded to the situation by altering titles of other videos to reference Swift’s songs, such as “Everything Has Changed” and “The Last Time.”
These actions were seen by some as an effort to provoke Swift, who has a strong following among younger voters.
Swift’s control over her music rights gives her more power to prevent its use in political contexts compared to other artists. The incident highlights how pop culture is increasingly used in political campaigns, especially on platforms like TikTok.
While many artists have faced challenges with unauthorized use of their music in political posts, Swift’s situation stands out due to her ownership rights. Swift has not made a public statement about the removal of her music from the TikTok video, but fans have drawn their own conclusions.
The event underscores the growing influence of celebrities in political discourse and how music can become a tool for expression or protest. It remains unclear whether Swift’s team took action or if the removal was due to a licensing issue with TikTok.
Regardless of the reason, fans have taken notice and shared their reactions across social media platforms. The situation reflects a broader trend where artists are asserting control over how their work is used in public and political settings.
Swift’s supporters believe the removal of her music was a quiet but powerful statement against political appropriation.