Noah Kahan has become the latest musician to publicly object after the White House used one of his songs in a social media video, telling fans he would “never approve” of his music being associated with the Trump administration.
The dispute began after the White House posted photos and video to Instagram and TikTok showing President Trump touring General Motors’ Milford Proving Ground in Michigan, set to Kahan’s song American Cars from his chart-topping album The Great Divide.
After a wave of fans tagged Kahan in the comments alerting him to the post, the singer responded directly: “Would never approve of my music being used in support of you or this administration.”
The comment quickly drew tens of thousands of likes.
Kahan’s frequent co-writer on the track, guitarist Noah Levine, left a blunter response of his own beneath the post, which was later removed.
At the time of writing, the song remained attached to the White House’s video.
Kahan’s objection is the latest in a growing pattern of musicians pushing back against the administration’s use of their work online.
Days earlier, Katy Perry criticised the White House for using her 2010 hit Firework in a TikTok post featuring footage of military strikes, writing that she was “deeply appalled and angry” and had not approved or been asked about its use.
Ariana Grande raised similar objections in June after a version of her song Bye appeared in a White House TikTok post depicting ICE arrests.
Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Rodrigo, Celine Dion, Neil Young and the Rolling Stones have all previously voiced comparable complaints about the administration’s use of their music.
A White House spokesperson had not responded to requests for comment on Kahan’s objection at the time of publication.
2026-07-30 04:45:00
