A TikTok video posted to the @TeamTrump account has had its audio track removed after featuring Taylor Swift’s song “August.” The clip, which appeared on the platform, showed Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump standing on a balcony watching fireworks. Text displayed over the footage stated, Mood because it’s August and Donald Trump is your president.
Taylor Swift Song Removed From Team Trump TikTok Post
The post included a caption addressing the singer directly: I’m sure @Taylor Swift is going to be super excited we used her song! #taylorswift #maga #august.
Fans on the platform noticed that the audio from Swift’s 2020 album “Folklore” was missing. Users viewing the U.S. version of the TikTok application were met with an onscreen notice stating, The copyright owner hasn’t made this sound available in your country.
Previous TikTok Audio Removals and Platform History
The @TeamTrump account was established ahead of the 2024 U.S. presidential election and has continued publishing regular content following Trump’s election for a second term, accumulating approximately 14 million followers. The removal of “August” marks another instance of music associated with Swift disappearing from the campaign’s TikTok feed.
Unique Control Over Masters and Publishing Rights
Music availability on social media platforms can fluctuate based on copyright permissions and licensing restrictions, with platforms limiting audio when rights holders do not authorize its use for specific accounts or regions. Unlike many musical artists whose tracks involve split rights managed across various labels and publishers, Swift maintains control over her masters and publishing.
This ownership provides artists with direct leverage to influence how their music appears on services such as TikTok. Representatives for both Swift and Trump were reached for comment regarding the removal of the audio track.
Background of Prior Political Friction
The recent TikTok modification arrives against a backdrop of prior friction between the singer and Donald Trump. In September 2024, Trump posted I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!
on social media after the artist announced her intention to vote for Kamala Harris in the U.S. presidential election. In an Instagram post at the time, Swift stated, I’m voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them.
One month prior to that endorsement, Trump shared artificial intelligence-generated images that falsely claimed Swift had endorsed his presidential campaign, including a depiction portraying her as Uncle Sam. At the time, Trump indicated in an interview with Fox Business that he was unconcerned about potential legal action, stating the images were all made up by other people.
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