A former staffer of the Trump administration said she was warned against playing Taylor Swift's music in the White House because the singer wasn't "a fan of Trump's."
Olivia Troye, an advisor for former Vice President Mike Pence who served on the Coronavirus Task Force, said she went to her office in the White House following a meeting about Covid-19.
"I remember a moment in the spring where I came back very angry after a meeting where I lost an argument with someone [over] something I didn't agree with related to the pandemic," Troye told MSNBC.
She added: "I came back and was playing Taylor Swift very loud in my office late that night, and I had a colleague knock on the door, and he said, 'Are you trying to get fired?' I was super confused about that and I was like 'for being blunt in meetings or for what?'"
Troye said she initially thought he was referring to the meeting she'd just had, but the staffer was actually referring to her music.
"He said, 'Well, I don't think she's a fan of Trump's, and so if somebody hears that, you should really watch your back. You should be careful on that,'" Troye said the staffer told her, suggesting Swift was not a fan of the former president.
"That is just so astonishing to me," Troye added. "It's late, I'm allowed to listen to whatever music I want."
Trump joked about liking Swift's music less after the singer endorsed Democrats running for office in her home state of Tennessee in 2018.
Credit: PA Images / Alamy
'Let's say that I like Taylor's music about 25% less now, okay," he said at the time.
Later, in her Netflix documentary Miss Americana, Swift was seen laughing backstage as she got ready for the American Music Awards in 2018 about the comment.
Swift also publicly supported the Equality Act and mentioned it throughout several of her award-winning speeches through the award season.
What's more, the singer also released a political song called 'Only The Young' in connection with the documentary's release that encourages the young to vote.
Taylor Swift appears to disapprove of her music being linked to the Republican Party, namely the leader of said party: President Donald Trump.
In fact, on Wednesday (September 23), the Instagram account @teamtrump, which is the president's official campaign page on the social media platform, shared a post that included the pop megastar's song 'Father Figure'.
However, Swift appears to have formally requested the track's removal from the post, as it is now muted, with a message stating: "This song can't be played because it's currently unavailable."
What was the post all about?
Included in the post was an image of Trump smiling on a CD cover with the words "Zer(illegals) have crossed our borders in 16+ months" written on it.
The caption read: "And, baby, that’s sh0w business for y0u. 🫡"
The removal of the song has caused a real stir among fans, with one person responding, "As she should, they so desperately want attention and for Taylor to respond."
Another wrote: "Never the hugest TS music fan - but respect how she gets s**t done."
A third penned: "Why does he keep doing things like that? He’s so obsessed with her."
A fourth added: "Oh ffs they are ridiculous, constantly using her for engagement."
The Swifties believe that the US leader's team are doing their best to take advantage of the artist's stardom - particularly with the upcoming release of her latest music video.
Dakota Johnson and Colin Farrell were cast in the visuals for Swift's single 'Patient Zero'.
Taylor Swift. Credit: Gareth Cattermole/TAS24 / Getty
Taking to Instagram, the 'All Too Well' singer posted a short preview for the music video.
'Patient Zero' will officially debut at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) on Sunday.
Is the president a Taylor Swift fan?
Trump appears to have mixed views on Swift. In 2012, he said he liked her before making a U-turn six years later when Swift encouraged her fans to vote against Republican Marsha Blackburn during the Tennessee midterm race. At the time, Swift referred to Blackburn as "Trump in a wig".
Trump. Credit: Anadolu / Getty
Trump responded by telling White House reporters, "I like Taylor’s music about 25 percent less now."
Things turned from bad to worse when Swift opted to endorse his political opponent, former Vice President Kamala Harris.
Featured image credit: Andreas Rentz/TAS24 / Getty
The news broke during a cabinet meeting, when a reporter interrupted the high-level discussions to ask the president for his reaction to what many were calling the biggest celebrity story of the year.
The room, filled with top officials including Vice President JD Vance and Attorney General Pam Bondi, burst into laughter at the unexpected shift in subject matter.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, President Donald Trump, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at a cabinet meeting at the White House on August 26. Credit: Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images.
But instead of delivering one of his trademark barbs, Trump leaned forward and gave a measured, seven-word answer.
“I wish them a lot of luck,” he said, calling Kelce “a great player” and Swift “a terrific person.”
His unusually positive tone left many surprised, given his long and often bitter history of comments directed at the pop superstar.
That history has been anything but friendly. Over the past several years, Trump has repeatedly used his Truth Social platform to rail against Swift, often mocking her political stances and even her public appearances.
Just a few weeks earlier, he had once again declared that he “hated” the singer, boasting that after his attacks she was “booed out of the Super Bowl” and was “no longer hot.”
Such harsh rhetoric stood in stark contrast to his sudden turn toward civility when asked about her engagement.
The rift between the two can be traced back to 2018, when Swift waded into politics during the Tennessee midterm elections, encouraging fans to vote against Republican candidate Marsha Blackburn.
Trump, who had once publicly praised Swift (even tweeting in 2012 that she was “fantastic”) quickly soured on her. “I like Taylor’s music about 25% less now,” he told reporters at the time, according to BBC News.
Their feud became even more visible during major cultural moments. Both attended this year’s Super Bowl, where Swift, in the stands to support Kelce, appeared on the stadium’s big screen and was met with a chorus of boos.
Trump wasted no time in seizing on the moment, posting that she had been “booed out of the Stadium” and claiming, “MAGA is very unforgiving.” Just months later, he doubled down again, declaring on Truth Social (via Billboard): “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!”
Given that backdrop, his softening words about her engagement drew a wave of puzzled reactions online. “Bro just wants an invite to the wedding,” one user quipped on X. Another wrote: “Never thought I’d read a headline where Trump blesses Taylor Swift’s love life.”
For Swift and Kelce, the public scrutiny over their relationship shows no sign of slowing down. And for Trump, who has made a habit of weighing in on the singer’s every move, his latest comments suggest that even the fiercest rivalries can pause (at least temporarily) when it comes to matters of the heart.
Featured image credit: Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images.
Taylor Swift has made a subtle move against Donald Trump, after the US President reignited their feud with a social media post.
Swift and Trump's apparent dislike for each other has been clear to see for years, now, but this latest move in their public feud might just be the most awkward yet.
And it all revolves around some recent social media posts by Trump's team that started the whole thing.
Taylor Swift appears to have made a subtle comeback against Donald Trump. Credit: Andreas Rentz/TAS24 / Getty Images
Taylor Swift blocks use of music in Donald Trump social media posts
The post in question was made by Team Trump, a verified updates page for the Trump administration on TikTok.
In the video, Trump and his wife, Melania, can be seen watching fireworks. In the background, you can hear Swift's 2020 track 'August', taken from her Folklore album, playing softly in the background.
In the caption for the post, the Team Trump account joked: "I'm sure Taylor Swift is going to be super excited we used her song."
Following the video's posting, fans were quick to notice that the sound has actually now been removed from the video entirely - with it instead showing that "this sound isn't available."
Reporting on the incident, Variety noted that two more videos by Team Trump that used an audio of Swift's songs - this time the 2025 cuts 'Father Figure' and 'Opalite', both from The Life of a Showgirl - had also had the audio removed.
So far, Taylor Swift herself has not publicly commented.
Is there a feud between Taylor Swift and Donald Trump?
Swift and Trump have seemed to have a strained relationship in the past.
For her part, Swift was once an avowed apolitical figure as a celebrity, being careful not to endorse any one political party during the early years of her fame.
She famously did not endorse Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election, something that she seemed to very much struggle with and, when the time came for the 2018 midterms, she vocalized her support for the Tennessee Democrats loud and clear (and even included clips of her arguing passionately with her team about doing so in her documentary Miss Americana).
Swift endorsed Kamala Harris for president in 2024, which then promoted Trump to post "I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT" on social media.
Since taking back control of the master recordings of all her material in 2025, many fans have also pointed out that the decision to block her music from being used in Trump's posts could well have been one made by Swift herself.
In the past, Swift has also accused Trump of stoking white supremacy in America following the death of George Floyd in 2020, and directly called out his "ineffective leadership" during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Donald Trump can’t seem to keep Taylor Swift’s name out of his mouth.
The President of the United States took another bizarre jab at the pop superstar this week, posting yet another bizarre Truth Social post - this time, appearing to attack Swift’s looks.
Now, it looks like Trump believes his comments have had a deeper impact on Swift.
“Has anyone noticed that, since I said ‘I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT,’ she’s no longer ‘HOT?’” the 78-year-old posted Friday (May 16), setting social media ablaze - with critics slamming Trump over the comment.
Trump took yet another shot at Swift. Credit: Truth Social
"Imagine being such a bitter piece of s**t that you feel the need to tweet this out," one X user wrote.
A second echoed: "Really? You’re an 80 year old man concerned about the popularity of someone half your age?"
"No, she's still hot, but you're not," a third tweeted, with another adding: "I love that Taylor lives rent free in your mind!! Taylor sold out arenas around the world!"
It was just the latest in a string of personal insults Trump has hurled Swift’s way — some in speeches, others online — many of them seemingly fueled by his frustration over her increasingly vocal political influence.
From “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT” to “How did that work out?”
Trump first declared his distaste for Swift in September 2024, blasting her on Truth Social just hours after she announced her support for the Harris/Walz ticket.
Swift previously voiced support for Kamala Harris. Credit: Kevin Mazur / Getty
“I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT,” he wrote in all caps.
At the time, he claimed Swift’s political leanings would damage her brand. “She seems to always endorse a Democrat. And she’ll probably pay a price for it in the marketplace,” he alleged.
Days later, he doubled down during a Fox & Friends appearance, saying: “I was not a Taylor Swift fan. It was just a question of time. ... But she’s a very liberal person.”
By February, his attacks had spilled into public events. During the Eagles' post-Super Bowl visit to the White House, Trump made sure to remind everyone he and Swift were both at the game where the Chiefs — led by Swift’s boyfriend Travis Kelce — were defeated.
“I was there along with Taylor Swift,” he told the crowd, before twisting the knife: “How did that work out?” He repeated the line as the audience laughed. It marked the first time a sitting US president had ever attended a Super Bowl in person.
Obsession on repeat
Swift’s high-profile appearances at Chiefs games throughout the NFL season sparked endless political commentary. Fans questioned why the spotlight was on her rather than the games themselves.
At the 2025 Super Bowl in New Orleans, where both Trump and Swift attended, Eagles fans were seen booing the singer.
Trump wasted no time jumping on the moment. He reposted a screenshot from the Libs of TikTok account showing crowd reactions to both him and Swift, with the caption: “Trump gets massive cheers at the Super Bowl while Taylor Swift gets booed – The world is healing.”
Shortly afterward, he trolled her again — this time with a doctored image showing Swift holding a flag that read: “Trump won, Democrats cheated!”
Taylor Swift was savagely booed as she watched the Chiefs vs the Eagles at the Super Bowl. Credit: Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
Even months into his second term, Trump was still fuming over her influence.
Springsteen Gets Dragged Too
Swift wasn’t the only celebrity in Trump’s firing line this week. Just 40 minutes after his latest jab at her, the President set his sights on Bruce Springsteen, who had recently blasted Trump’s administration during a concert in Manchester, England.
“I see that Highly Overrated Bruce Springsteen goes to a Foreign Country to speak badly about the President of the United States,” Trump wrote.
Trump would also take a shot at Bruce Springsteen. Credit: Truth Social
“This dried out ‘prune’ of a rocker (his skin is all atrophied!) ought to KEEP HIS MOUTH SHUT until he gets back into the Country, that’s just ‘standard fare’. Then we’ll all see how it goes for him!”
Earlier in his post, Trump had also ripped the singer as “a pushy, obnoxious JERK,” “dumb as a rock,” and “not a talented guy.”
He accused Springsteen of backing “Crooked Joe Biden, a mentally incompetent FOOL,” and claimed the U.S. “would have been GONE by now” if he hadn’t won the election.
Springsteen had told the Manchester crowd: “The America I love, the America I've written about, that has been a beacon of hope and liberty for 250 years is currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent, and treasonous administration.”
Swiftie Family Ties
Despite Trump’s ongoing attacks, not everyone in the Trump family is anti-Swift. Ivanka Trump and her daughter Arabella are self-declared Swifties. The pair were spotted at a Miami stop of the Eras Tour, and Arabella recently celebrated her 13th birthday with a Taylor Swift-themed party.
Arabella Trump with her Swift-themed birthday cake. Credit: Instagram/IvankaTrump
“Best cake for my favorite Swiftie,” Ivanka posted alongside a heart-shaped cake decorated with lyrics from Swift’s song 'Blank Space'.
The White House has issued a stinging rebuke to Ariana Grande after she called out supporters of Donald Trump online.
Using titles from her own songs against her, the Trump administration channels hit back at the singer, claiming that she had misrepresented Trump’s record in office.
The 32-year-old singer had previously shared an Instagram post from a podcast host criticizing the Trump presidency.
It all started when Grande shared a post originally created by ‘A Bit Fruity’ podcast host Matt Bernstein, in which he slammed voters who cast their ballot for Trump instead of Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in the 2024 election.
Ariana Grande shared the post taking aim at Trump's record in government. Credit: Instagram
In that post - later shared by Grande - Bernstein wrote: “I want to check in with [Trump] voters."
“I have one very genuine question: it’s been 250 days. now that immigrants have been violently torn from their families and communities have been destroyed, now that trans people have been blamed for virtually everything and live in fear, now that free speech is on the brink of collapse for us all — has your life gotten better?”
It continued: “Have your groceries gotten cheaper? Has your health insurance premium gone down? Has your work/life balance improved?
“Can you take a vacation yet? Are you happier?
“Has the widespread suffering of others paid off for you in the way he promised it would, or are you still waiting?”
The White House responded in typically fiery fashion
White House spokesperson Kush Desai hit back at Grande in a post on official channels, using her own songs against her.
“Save your tears, Ariana,” the post began.
“Because President Trump’s actions ended Joe Biden’s inflation crisis and are bringing in trillions in new investments,
“He even signed an executive order just like magic that paved the way for the FTC to crack down on Ticketmaster for ripping off Ariana Grande’s concert-going fans.
“Get well soon, Ariana!”
Ariana Grande. Credit: Christina House/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
Of course, it goes without saying that Grande supported Harris at the previous election and will presumably remain no fan of the Trump administration.
Whether she chooses to hit out at them publicly again is anyone’s guess.
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