Some Taylor Swift fans are upset after the official White House TikTok account used her song The Fate of Ophelia in a video about President Donald Trump. The video, posted on Nov. 3, shows Trump and his associates while the song plays, including his mugshot under the lyric “Don’t care where the hell you’ve been.” It ends with Trump eating McDonald’s fries and the words changed to “The fate of America.”
Taylor hasn’t responded yet, but it’s unlikely she approves. She has supported Democrats in the past including Kamala Harris in the 2024 election — and Trump has openly insulted her, even once posting “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT” online.
Fans are calling for Taylor to sue, with many saying the White House did not have permission to use her song. While normal TikTok users can use licensed music, official organizations, like the White House,are supposed to get a special sync license to legally use music with video. It’s unclear if the White House got one, but it seems unlikely.
If the song was used without permission, Taylor’s legal team has several options. They could send the White House a cease-and-desist letter, file a DMCA request to remove the video from TikTok, or, if needed, take the issue to court for copyright infringement.
However, suing the White House would almost certainly pull Taylor into a major public and political battle. She is usually careful about how she speaks on politics and may choose not to escalate the situation. For now, fans will have to wait and see how she decides to respond.
