Taylor Swift's 'August' removed from Donald Trump's campaign TikTok video
Washington DC, August 8
A TikTok video that included Taylor Swift's song "August" posted four days ago to the account for US President Donald Trump 's campaign has had the sound removed, according to Variety.
The video, posted four days ago by the official @TeamTrump TikTok account, featured Trump and Melania Trump standing on a balcony and watching fireworks. The text over the video read, "Mood because it's August and Donald Trump is your president."
Its caption originally read, "I'm sure @Taylor Swift is going to be super excited we used her song! #taylorswift #maga #august."
Fans noticed that Swift's "August", from her 2020 album Folklore, had been removed from the video. In the US version of TikTok, a message displayed on the post says: "The copyright owner hasn't made this sound available in your country," according to Variety.
One of the top comments on the video reacted to the removal, with a user writing: "TAYLOR REMOVING THE AUDIO QUEEEEEEN."
The @TeamTrump TikTok account, which has around 14 million followers, was created ahead of the 2024 US presidential election and has continued to post videos regularly since Trump returned to the White House for a second term, as per the outlet.
This is not the first Trump campaign TikTok featuring Swift's music to lose its audio. A Team Trump video featuring Swift's song "Father Figure", posted on November 6, 2025, has also had its audio removed.
However, a Team Trump video posted a day ago featuring a version of Swift's "Red" still had its audio track available as of the time of reporting. A video posted on the official White House TikTok account last November also continues to feature Swift's "The Fate of Ophelia".
Swift and Trump have previously clashed publicly over politics. In September 2024, Trump posted "I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!" on social media after the singer announced her support for then-Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, according to Variety.
"I'm voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them," Swift had written in an Instagram post.
The dispute followed another controversy in August 2024, when Trump shared AI-generated images falsely suggesting that Swift had endorsed him for president. One image depicted Swift as Uncle Sam alongside a message reading, "Taylor wants you to vote for Donald Trump," as per the outlet.
At the time, Trump suggested in an interview with Fox Business that he was not concerned about Swift suing him over the fabricated images, saying they "were all made up by other people."
— ANI
Reader Comments
As someone who follows copyright laws closely, it's interesting to see how TikTok handles this. The "copyright owner hasn't made this sound available" message is basically a flex by the rights holder. Trump's team should have known better than to use Swift's music without permission, especially after she endorsed Harris.
I read this article and honestly, I see this as a power move. Taylor Swift is not just an artist; she's a brand with values. Using her song in a political campaign without consent, especially one that opposes her stance, is disrespectful. I'm glad the audio was pulled. It sends a clear message: you can't use someone's art to push your agenda.
First they used AI images to fake her endorsement, now they're using her actual song? That's just desperate. 😅 Trump's team is clearly trying to tap into the Swiftie fanbase, but it's backfiring. Also, that "I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!" post was so immature. She's just exercising her democratic right to vote for who she wants.
I have mixed feelings about this. While I respect Taylor Swift's right to control her music, this whole situation feels like a mini battlefield between celebrities and politicians. But one thing is clear: artists everywhere should have control over how their work is used. If Trump's team wanted to use the song, they should have asked for a license first.
The "QUEEEEEEN" comment is killing me. 😂 But on a serious note, this shows how digital platforms are handling copyright in real-time. TikTok's response is automated
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.