Taylor Swift Blocks Trump Campaign TikTok From Using Her Music

Taylor Swift has taken copyright action against a Donald Trump-aligned TikTok account, muting the audio on a "Team Trump" post that used her song "august." According to Consequence, this marks the first time Swift has actively moved against Trump-affiliated accounts over use of her music.

What happened

A post from the "Team Trump" TikTok account used "august" — from Swift's 2020 album folklore — as its soundtrack. Swift's team then triggered a takedown of the audio, effectively muting the video.

Not the first time — but the first response

The White House's official TikTok account had previously posted using Swift's song "The Fate of Ophelia," but Swift did not take equivalent action at that time. The move against "Team Trump" is the first instance in which she has responded with a clear copyright action.

Why it matters

Whether an artist's music licensing extends to political use has long been a flashpoint in the music industry. Rihanna, Celine Dion, and Pharrell Williams have all previously publicly demanded politicians stop using their songs. Swift openly backed the Democratic Party during the 2024 US election cycle and has repeatedly spoken out about AI-generated deepfakes impersonating her. Whether this copyright action signals a further political statement has not been addressed by either camp — neither Trump's team nor Swift's representatives have issued a statement.