ENTERTAINMENT

Taylor Swift's Song 'August' Removed From Donald Trump Team TikTok Video

PUBLISHED Aug 8, 2026, 4:28 AM ET

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Media Bias Meter

Sources: 22

Left 32%

Center 68%

Sources: 22

Taylor Swift’s song “august” has been removed from a TikTok video posted by Donald Trump’s political team. The platform activity followed the initial publication of a video that utilized the 2020 track alongside a direct caption addressing the pop star. The Trump team's original TikTok post featured the song with the caption, “I'm sure Taylor Swift is going to be super excited we used her song!” The post quickly gained hundreds of thousands of views and drew widespread attention across social media platforms including X. Subsequent updates on social media revealed that the audio track had been removed from the TikTok publication. The removal sparked extensive online discussion and speculation among users regarding the copyright status of the music and the interaction between political campaigns and high-profile artists. The song “august” was originally released by Swift on her 2020 studio album “folklore”. As of Saturday morning, neither Taylor Swift nor her official representatives have released a public statement regarding the removal of the audio or the initial social media post. Independent observers and social media users noted the timing of the audio disappearance, which occurred amid ongoing public interest in the intersection of celebrity branding and political social media strategy.

By Lauren Mitchell | JQJO News

Timeline of Events

On July 24, 2020, Swift released her studio album folklore.
On November 5, 2024, Swift endorsed Democratic candidate Kamala Harris.
On January 20, 2025, Donald Trump assumed office as president.
On June 12, 2025, the White House TikTok account posted.
On August 8, 2026, Team Trump posted a TikTok video.
On August 8, 2026, Swift blocked the audio via copyright.
On August 8, 2026, social media users widely discussed takedown.
Campaigns will likely exercise increased caution using copyrighted pop music.
Legal discussions regarding political campaign fair use may intensify soon.
Artists will continue monitoring unauthorized platform usages during upcoming elections.

News Intelligence

Sparks intense online debate regarding celebrity involvement in political campaigns.
Influences future digital copyright enforcement strategies during political election campaigns.
Taylor Swift fans, political campaign staffers, and social media platforms.
Verify primary source statements before evaluating viral political social media claims.

Media Bias

Articles Published:: 22
Right Leaning:: 0
Left Leaning:: 7
Neutral:: 15

Explain Framing

Praises Swift for blocking Trump and resisting conservative political messaging. Reports factual details regarding copyright removal and public social reactions. Focuses on campaign baiting tactics and online political media engagement.