Noah Kahan Slams Trump Administration Over Music Use

Unauthorized Use of "American Cars"

The dispute began after the administration posted a series of videos and photos to TikTok and Instagram featuring the song “American Cars.” The track is a standout from Noah Kahan’s fourth studio album, the Billboard 200 No. 1 LP The Great Divide. The social media content was created to celebrate President Donald Trump’s visit to a Michigan auto plant this week, where he touted vehicles made in America.

Specific footage showed the president visiting the General Motors proving grounds in Milford, Mich., where he was seen signing a white Corvette. According to reports, the photo carousel also depicted the president boasting about tariffs across the auto industry and pumping his fist while watching a drag race. While the song appeared to have been disabled on certain Instagram posts by Monday, it continued to accompany the White House TikTok video of the event.

Artist and Co-Writer Reactions

Kahan, a 29-year-old singer and songwriter, voiced his disapproval in the comments of an Instagram post on Monday, July 27. His comment quickly went viral, attracting more than 53,500 likes and upwards of 840 comments. The artist stated:

"Would never approve of my music being used in support of you or this administration."

— Noah Kahan

Kahan’s frequent collaborator and the co-author of the track, guitarist Noah Levine, also left a blunt comment on the post before it was reportedly scrubbed from the platform. Levine wrote:

"You fat f— this song isn’t for you."

— Noah Levine

White House Response

The administration has pushed back against the criticism. Kaelan Dorr, who serves as the deputy assistant to the President and White House deputy communications director, responded to the situation on social media. Retweeting a post regarding Kahan’s comments, Dorr referenced "Trump Derangement Syndrome" (TDS), stating:

"Symptoms of TDS apparently include having a northern attitude."

— Kaelan Dorr

It has been noted that Kahan’s recordings are available for use within the public Instagram library. This availability follows a 2024 pact between Universal Music Group and Meta, the parent company of platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, Horizon, Threads, and WhatsApp.

Growing List of Objecting Musicians

Kahan is the latest in a long roster of artists who have spoken out against the Trump administration or campaign for using their music without explicit permission. Recently, Katy Perry expressed anger when her 2010 hit “Firework” was used on the White House TikTok account as a backing track for military strike footage. The video synchronized Perry’s “boom, boom, boom” lyrics with black-and-white footage of bombings. Perry stated on X:

"I am deeply appalled and angry to see ‘Firework’ used on the @WhiteHouse TikTok account as a backing track for video footage of military strikes. I did not approve this, I was not asked, and I absolutely do not condone it."

— Katy Perry

In June, Ariana Grande also demanded the administration stop using her 2024 song “Bye” in a TikTok video showing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arresting individuals. Grande commented:

"Please do not ever use my music in relation to this barbaric, inhumane, heinous nonsense. F— ICE."

— Ariana Grande

Other major acts who have criticized the use of their music in similar contexts include Beyoncé, Adele, Bruce Springsteen, Celine Dion, Foo Fighters, Guns N’ Roses, Jack White and the White Stripes, Kenny Loggins, Neil Young, Olivia Rodrigo, Ozzy Osbourne, and Rihanna.

Artist Background and Context

Noah Kahan is a Pop artist who originally formed in 1997. The Vermont-bred performer is currently on The Great Divide World Tour, which included a recent performance at Fenway Park in Boston on July 11, 2026. Interestingly, the song at the center of the current controversy, “American Cars,” was originally written by Kahan for his sister, Sasha, and describes her role as the family’s problem solver.