Swifties outraged as Trump administration uses Taylor Swift’s song in White House video

WASHINGTON, D.C.: President Donald Trump reignited his long-running feud with Taylor Swift after the official White House TikTok account used her No. 1 hit, 'The Fate of Ophelia', in a patriotic promotional video celebrating his administration. 

The 22-second clip, featuring military visuals and photos of Trump, sparked immediate outrage among Swift’s fans and renewed scrutiny of the president’s history of publicly attacking the pop superstar.

Swifties accused Trump of hypocrisy and potentially unauthorized use of Swift’s music, flooding the video’s comments with criticism and demands for legal action. 

White House TikTok using Swift’s song triggers fan backlash

The video, posted Tuesday, November 4, on the White House’s official TikTok account, opened with the lyric “Keep it one hundred on the land, the sea, the sky” displayed over footage of different branches of the U.S. military. It then transitioned to images of Trump, his running mate JD Vance, and their spouses, just as Swift sang “Pledge allegiance to your hands, your team, your vibes.”

In a moment that drew particular attention, Trump’s mugshot appeared on-screen as the lyric “don’t care where the hell you been” played.

The creative choice left fans furious. “HAHAHAHA! All I hear is Tay publicity! He might hate her but he’s bumping her music with no problem! MORE STREAMS FOR US,” one user wrote on X. 

“They’re telling the media how dumb they are to their faces,” another quipped.

A third echoed a sentiment shared by thousands: “Why hasn’t she or her team denounced the use of her music in the video?"

"He’s a Swifty at heart like most of us,” one X user said. “I hope she strikes it."

"His feud with a pop star needs to be studied,” another added.

Trump’s history of anti-Swift remarks resurfaces

The controversy comes after years of tension between Trump and Swift. The feud reignited during the 2024 election, when Swift endorsed then-Vice President Kamala Harris for president, calling her “a steady-handed, gifted leader” who fights for “the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them.”

Trump fired back, warning that Swift’s music sales would plummet following her endorsement, a claim that proved untrue as her albums continued to dominate the charts. Around the same time, Swift called out Trump for sharing a doctored image that falsely suggested she supported him, labeling the post “deeply manipulative.”

Despite those attacks, Trump appeared to soften his tone earlier this year after Swift’s engagement to NFL star Travis Kelce. “He’s a great player, and I think he’s a great guy, and I think that she’s a terrific person, so I wish them a lot of luck,” Trump told reporters in August.

Responding to Variety’s request for comment about the TikTok, a White House official dismissed the outrage, saying, “We made this video because we knew fake news media brands like Variety would breathlessly amplify them. Congrats, you got played.”