American pop star Taylor Swift has long been known for managing her image and guarding her music. Her silence over the past fortnight, as the Trump administration used tracks from her new album The Life of a Showgirl in a series of official posts, has become a talking point in both political and entertainment circles.Music from the album has already appeared in three posts linked directly to the administration. The first surfaced on the official White House TikTok account, which used her single The Fate of Ophelia over a patriotic slideshow. As Swift sings “pledge allegiance to your hands, your team, your vibes”, viewers were shown images of the American flag, President Trump, vice president JD Vance and the first and second ladies. Team Trump later posted two more clips. One featured Father Figure with the caption “this empire belongs to @President Donald J Trump”. The other, celebrating Melania Trump’s Patriot of the Year award, used Opalite as its soundtrack.
Row over the administration’s use of popular music is not new. The White Stripes and the estate of Isaac Hayes have tried to sue in the past. Celine Dion, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Abba and Foo Fighters have all demanded that Trump stop playing their songs, according to the Guardian. Olivia Rodrigo slammed the administration, after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) used her track All-American B***h in a video promoting deportation efforts. Instagram later removed the clip.Swift’s lack of response stands out because she is usually quick to challenge unauthorised use of her music. In the past, she has taken action against a theme park for using her music without a licence, pushed back against Etsy sellers making merchandise with her lyrics, pursued YouTubers over copyright breaches and even demanded retroactive songwriting credits from younger artists such as Olivia Rodrigo.Her quiet approach also feels at odds with the political stance she has taken in recent years. In her documentary Miss Americana, Swift spoke about her decision to address social issues and elections, saying she needed “to be on the right side of history”. She has backed Democratic candidates, supported Kamala Harris in 2024. Yet she has not commented on ICE raids, immigration debates or the Israel-Gaza war this year.Furthermore, Trump has recently praised her, saying, “I think that she’s a terrific person”.
