Singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo has made headlines after having her song removed from a TikTok video posted by former President Donald Trump’s campaign.
The video, which amassed over 12 million views, originally featured Rodrigo’s track “deja vu” and opened with a sequence of text over images of Trump declaring, “I’m the President-Elect,” followed by the words, “And what’s interesting about that…is that’s exactly what he is.”
With the audio now absent from the clip, fans quickly noticed Rodrigo’s subtle response. Known for her advocacy on reproductive rights and support for Vice President Kamala Harris, Rodrigo’s move quickly resonated with her audience.
Some fans speculated about her personal stance on the video, with a now-debunked screenshot circulating online that falsely showed her commenting, “ew don’t use my sound ever again ty.” Although the comment turned out to be fake, the spirit of her silent protest captured her fans’ enthusiasm.
In the TikTok comments, one top fan reaction celebrated her as “iconic” for removing the sound, earning over 68,000 likes, while others called her “a true queen.” The trend extended across social media, with users on X (formerly Twitter) and other platforms joining in on the praise.
One fan shared a GIF of Rodrigo wagging her finger, captioned, “Olivia Rodrigo when she found out ‘deja vu’ was used in Team Trump’s latest post.”
This incident places Rodrigo alongside a growing list of artists who have resisted the use of their music in political contexts they don’t endorse. From Beyoncé to the Foo Fighters, and Neil Young to the estate of Tom Petty, numerous musicians have spoken out when their songs were featured in Trump’s campaign materials without consent. Rodrigo’s quiet decision to remove her song from this video adds to the ongoing conversation about artists’ rights over their work and the ethical use of music in political messaging.
