Recommendations of the Editorial team
In Taylor Swift’s reimagining of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, “The Fate of Ophelia,” she creates a poetic tale of soulmates and salvation. “Pulling me into the fire,” a line in which she celebrates her love, now takes an absurd political turn.
Trump propaganda with Swift soundtrack
Because one of their declared enemies, Donald Trump, misused the piece. In a new TikTok post from the White House, “The Fate of Ophelia” plays over a collage of images that portrays Trump as the savior of America. Under the heading “The Fate of America.”
While Swift sings in the chorus, “Keep it one hundred on the land, the sea, the sky,” the video shows soldiers, rocket launches and fighter jets. The line “Pledge allegiance to your hands, your team, your vibes” is accompanied by a US flag, Trump next to JD Vance (“the team”) and their wives Melania and Usha (“the vibes”).
The most provocative moment follows when Trump’s mug shot from the Fulton County Jail appears over Swift’s line “Don’t care where the hell you been” – taken after he turned himself in for attempting to overturn the election in 2020. At second nine of a total of 22, the fade-in “Fate of America” finally appears while Trump is scooping up fries at McDonald’s.
“OUR VIBES 🇺🇸,” reads the official comment. The clip collected over 570,000 likes within hours. Representatives for Swift have not yet responded to requests for comment from Rolling Stone.
From Swift hate to TikTok irony
The song “The Life of a Showgirl” was a surprising choice. Because Trump has never made a secret of his dislike for Swift in the past. In September, he wrote on Truth Social: “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!” In May he followed up: “Since I said I hated her, she hasn’t been HOT anymore!” And in August, he used a controversy surrounding actress Sydney Sweeney to fire more barbs at Swift.
“Look at that woke singer Taylor Swift,” Trump wrote. “Since I told the world I couldn’t stand her, she’s been booed and no longer hot. Being woke is for losers – being Republican is the goal.”
Swift has publicly criticized Trump several times – including his handling of the Black Lives Matter protests, his attacks on the US Postal Service and his distribution of AI-generated images that allegedly show her as a supporter of his campaign. She supported Joe Biden in 2020 and Kamala Harris in 2024.
Music for propaganda purposes
The White House has been criticized for months for its use of popular songs in social media posts. Singer Jess Glynne, for example, said in July that she was “sick with anger” because the Trump administration used her song “Hold My Hand” in an ICE advertising clip. “My music represents love, unity and positivity – not division or hate,” she said.