Archive · 9 Aug 2026
Taylor Swift's 'August' Removed From Trump Campaign TikTok Videos
Taylor Swift is a very famous singer with a song called 'August.'
Donald Trump is the President of the United States.
His campaign runs a TikTok account called Team Trump.
That account posted a video of President Trump and his wife Melania watching fireworks from a balcony.
The video used Taylor Swift's song 'August,' but later the song's sound was taken away.
People in the United States now see a message saying the sound is not available because of copyright rules.
No one has officially said exactly why the music was removed, and Taylor Swift has not commented.
Some other Team Trump and White House videos that used her music also lost their sound.
In the past, Swift and Trump disagreed about politics, like when she supported Kamala Harris for president and he said he hated her.
Other singers, including Katy Perry and Ariana Grande, have also said their songs were used without permission.
Taylor Swift's 'August,' from her 2020 album Folklore, was removed from a @TeamTrump TikTok video showing Donald and Melania Trump watching fireworks from a balcony; US viewers now see a copyright-related message.
US TikTok users noticed the removal on Friday, August 7, and Swift has not publicly commented; the reason for the removal has not been officially confirmed.
Other Swift songs have also reportedly lost audio or disappeared on Team Trump and White House videos, including 'Father Figure,' 'Red' and 'The Fate of Ophelia,' though reports conflict on some clips.
The @TeamTrump account, which has about 14 million followers, had captioned the video "I'm sure @Taylor Swift is going to be super excited we used her song! #taylorswift #maga #august."
The removals follow Swift's 2024 endorsement of Kamala Harris, Trump's 'I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!' post and AI-generated endorsement images, plus objections from Katy Perry and Ariana Grande over White House use of their songs.
- Who
- Taylor Swift, President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump, and the @TeamTrump campaign TikTok account.
- What
- The audio of Swift's 'August' and other songs was removed from Team Trump and White House TikTok videos, which now show copyright-related messages for US viewers.
- When
- The edited fireworks video was posted August 3, and US users noticed the removal on Friday, August 7; a 'Father Figure' video had been posted in November 2025.
- Where
- TikTok, on the @TeamTrump campaign account and the White House's official account, viewable by US users.
- Why
- Not publicly confirmed, but the removals follow musicians objecting to their music being used in Trump-related political content and Swift's past political clashes with Trump.
Artists' control over their music
Campaign and White House use of popular songs
Unauthorized use of songs in political videos
Artists' control over their music
Katy Perry said of 'Firework' being used in a White House video about strikes in Iran: 'I did not approve this, I was not asked, and I absolutely do not condone it,' calling it 'a complete violation' of what her song stands for; Ariana Grande asked that her song 'Bye' not be used in a White House video about arrests.
Campaign and White House use of popular songs
The White House and Swift's representatives have not issued statements on the Swift removals, and Trump dismissed concerns over AI-generated images depicting a Swift endorsement, saying they 'were all made up by other people.'
Swift's endorsement of Harris and Trump's response
Artists' control over their music
Swift endorsed Kamala Harris before the 2024 election, writing that Harris 'fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them.'
Campaign and White House use of popular songs
After the endorsement, Trump posted 'I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!' and later said she was 'no longer HOT,' although he wished Swift and Travis Kelce luck after their engagement.
- Artist
- Taylor Swift
- Song
- August
- Album
- Folklore (2020)
- Video content
- Donald and Melania Trump watching fireworks from a balcony
- Account
- @TeamTrump (about 14 million followers)
- Platform
- TikTok
- Status
- Audio removed; copyright-related message shown to US viewers
- Reason for removal
- Not publicly confirmed
Sources
Taylor Swift Song August REMOVED From Donald Trump And Melania's TikTok Video
Taylor Swift’s music removed from several videos on Trump’s Team Trump TikTok account - Telegraph India
Taylor Swift Songs Disappear From Trump, White House TikTok Videos
