Taylor Swift Urged To Take Legal Action After White House Uses Her Song In Trump-Themed Video

Taylor Swift
JULIEN DE ROSA/AFP via Getty Images

Taylor Swift fans are calling for legal action after the White House used one of her songs in a TikTok video celebrating President Donald Trump.

The video, posted to the official White House account, featured Swift's recent hit "The Fate of Ophelia" paired with footage of Trump and Vice President JD Vance.

The lyrics were edited in the captions to read "the fate of America," turning the song into a patriotic parody.

Many questioned whether Swift approved the use of her song, while others accused the administration of trolling the pop star.

"Taylor Swift, sue them," one user commented on the TikTok video.

Another added, "They've hated her for years, and now they're using her music?"

The choice of soundtrack raised eyebrows because of Swift's strained history with Trump.

During the 2024 election, she endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris and signed her message "Childless Cat Lady," a jab at Vance's past comments about "childless cat ladies running the country." Days later, Trump declared, "I hate Taylor Swift!" on Truth Social.

The TikTok video used snippets of Swift's lyrics alongside images of Trump, including his 2023 mugshot. When the line "your team" played, the video cut to Vance, appearing to reference their public feud.

Some viewers saw the post as a political stunt.

"MAGA is so desperate to seem mainstream they're using the music of someone they've attacked for years," one comment read.

Others praised the marketing team for its humor, calling it "genius."

Copyright Questions

It's unclear whether the White House received permission to use Swift's song.

While TikTok's commercial sound library includes some licensed tracks, artists often challenge how their music is used in political or promotional content.

Similar disputes have surfaced in recent months.

MGMT filed a takedown request after their 2018 song "Little Dark Age" appeared in an Immigration and Customs Enforcement video, according to Consequence.

Earlier this year, The Guardian reported Semisonic said it did not authorize the use of its hit "Closing Time" in a White House clip supporting immigration enforcement.

As of Tuesday, the White House video was still live on TikTok.

Tags
Taylor Swift, Donald Trump, White House

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