Donald Trump Uses Taylor Swift Song in TikTok Video

The White House has sparked controversy by using Taylor Swift’s music in a TikTok video, despite Donald Trump’s well-documented animosity towards the pop superstar.

The 22-second clip features “The Fate of Ophelia” from Swift’s latest album, rebranded as “The Fate of America” to accompany images celebrating Trump’s presidency.

The video strategically pairs Swift’s lyrics with politically charged imagery. When she sings “Keep it one hundred on the land, the sea, the sky,” the footage cuts between military scenes including troops aiming weapons, missile launches, and fighter jets. The line “Pledge allegiance to your hands, your team, your vibes” accompanies shots of the American flag, Trump alongside J.D. Vance, and their respective wives.

Perhaps most provocatively, the lyric “Don’t care where the hell you been” plays over Trump’s infamous Fulton County Jail mugshot, taken after his surrender on felony charges related to his attempts to overturn the 2020 election results. The video concludes with “The Fate of America” caption over footage of Trump working at McDonald’s, captioned “OUR VIBES” with an American flag emoji.

The choice proves particularly audacious given Trump’s history of publicly attacking Swift.

In September, he declared “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!” on Truth Social, later claiming his criticism had made her “no longer HOT” and boasting that she was “booed out of the Super Bowl.” His animosity stems from Swift’s political stance, having supported Joe Biden in 2020 and Kamala Harris in 2024, while criticising Trump’s handling of Black Lives Matter protests and his attempts to dismantle postal services. Swift has also called out Trump for posting AI-generated images falsely showing her endorsing his campaign.

This incident follows a pattern of the Trump administration using popular music without artist consent, often to their dismay. Singer Jess Glynne expressed outrage in July when her song “Hold My Hand” was used in a meme promoting ICE deportations, stating it made her “sick” as her music represents “love, unity, and spreading positivity… never about division or hate.”