Why Taylor Swift’s Music Was Banned in Donald Trump’s White House: ‘Watch Your Back’

Once, in the ever-so tumultuous environment of Donald Trump's White House, where politics pervaded every aspect of daily life, even music choices were apparently not safe. Olivia Troye, a former homeland security, counterterrorism, and coronavirus adviser to Vice President Mike Pence, found herself at the center of a bizarre controversy involving pop icon Taylor Swift. She recalled, "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."

Seeing her oblivious, the colleague explained, "He said, 'Well, I don't think she [the pop star] is a fan of Trump's, and so if somebody hears that, you should really watch your back. You should be careful on that.'" The warning was clear, but Troye was baffled as she exclaimed, "That is just so astonishing to me…It's late, I'm allowed to listen to whatever music I want."

As per The Hill, Troye further revealed, "Taylor Swift wasn't going to win me any favors…I sort of chuckled ... but then slowly turned down the volume fully knowing he was right. The last thing I needed was an excuse for someone to use against me and undermine my work. I had seen it happen to others. It was an environment where you had to be very guarded about everything."

As per Business Insider, Swift, who had historically kept her political views private, broke her silence during the 2018 midterm elections, endorsing Democratic candidates in Tennessee and criticizing Trump’s policies. This transformation from pop icon to political advocate had not gone unnoticed in the White House. Troye recalled an incident where Mark Meadows, Trump’s chief of staff, was alerted to a HUD assistant liking one of Swift’s Instagram posts supporting Joe Biden. Meadows exclaimed, “We really can’t have our people liking posts promoting Joe Biden.”

Troye was disappointed and said, "I have never seen the type of bullying, intimidation, and disparaging treatment of some of our nation's most devoted public servants and national security officials. Every day I walked into work wondering if that was going to be the day I would get fired for telling the truth or for pushing back on something in a meeting." Troye added, "By the time the last year of the administration was in full swing, most of the people I respected or could confide in had left, been pushed out, or fired."

In August 2020, Troye resigned from her role and endorsed Joe Biden for president, marking a significant shift from her position within the Trump administration. Free from the constraints of the White House, she could finally listen to Swift’s music without fear of repercussions. Reflecting on her experience, Troye now serves as the director of the Republican Accountability Project, focusing on defending democracy and holding those who attempted to overturn the election accountable.