Karoline Leavitt Shares How Taylor Swift Became One of Her Favorite Spotify Artists Following Trump’s Comments

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt listened to a notable amount of Taylor Swift on Spotify in 2025.
Credit:

Paul Morigi/Getty; Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Key Facts

• White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt shared her 2025 Spotify Wrapped on social media this week.
• Among her most-listened-to artists were country and Christian singers, with Taylor Swift also making the list.
• Swift has been a frequent subject of criticism from President Donald Trump, who remarked in May that she was “no longer hot.”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt recently shared her 2025 Spotify Wrapped on social media, revealing her top artists of the year. However, her post may not sit well with her boss, President Donald Trump.

On December 3, Leavitt revealed her top five most-listened-to artists in an Instagram Story. The list predominantly featured country and Christian music, with Morgan Wallen leading, followed by Christian artists Forrest Frank, Brandon Lake, and Anne Wilson.

Notably, Leavitt’s fifth most-listened-to artist was Taylor Swift, a figure who has been frequently criticized by President Trump.

Although Leavitt did not disclose her most-played songs or albums, it’s uncertain which of Swift’s various musical eras resonated with her. Swift’s extensive catalog crosses multiple genres and explores diverse themes, encompassing earlier country hits as well as more recent songs often perceived as having political undertones.

Karoline Leavitt’s 2025 Spotify Wrapped.

Karoline Leavitt/Instagram; Spotify

The tensions between President Trump and Swift escalated after the pop star endorsed Kamala Harris in the 2024 election last September. Trump expressed his frustration on his Truth Social account, stating, “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!” Interestingly, despite his comments, Trump’s daughter Ivanka later attended one of Swift’s concerts.

After losing the 2024 election, Trump made several disparaging remarks about Swift, including a post in May 2025, where he questioned if she was “no longer ‘HOT'” following his initial outburst.

In a surprising turn, Trump appeared to soften his stance in August. When Swift announced her engagement to NFL star Travis Kelce, Trump congratulated the couple during a televised Cabinet meeting, expressing his good wishes.

Last month revealed that at least one person within the Trump administration appreciates Swift’s music. On November 2, the White House posted a TikTok video featuring her recently released single, “The Fate of Ophelia,” from her album, The Life of a Showgirl. The video aligned the song’s lyrics with visuals from Washington, D.C., including the president and first lady Melania Trump.

One notable moment in the video featured Swift’s lyric, “Don’t care where the hell you been,” paired with an image from Trump’s 2023 mug shot related to his indictment for attempting to overturn the 2020 election.

The video concluded with a picture of Trump with the American flag while Swift sang, “‘Cause now you’re mine.” The TikTok post quickly garnered nearly a million likes.

President Donald Trump and press secretary Karoline Leavitt take reporters’ questions on Air Force One.

MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty

While Swift has not publicly responded to the White House’s use of her music, pop artist Sabrina Carpenter recently expressed her discontent regarding a similar situation. On December 1, the White House’s official account shared a video featuring Carpenter’s song “Juno” as background audio for ICE agents making arrests.

Within 24 hours, Carpenter used the platform to denounce the video, labeling it “evil and disgusting” and urging that her music not be used to further a “inhumane agenda.” Her response garnered an impressive 1.6 million likes, significantly outpacing the original video, which received 84,000.