Singer-songwriter Noah Kahan has publicly criticised the White House and President Donald Trump for using his song "American Cars" in social media posts about an autoworkers' event in Michigan, insisting he never gave permission and would not support the administration. The 29-year-old commented directly on the post, and his rebuke has attracted thousands of likes, adding him to a growing list of musicians, including Celine Dion, Katy Perry, Kesha and Tom Petty, who have objected to unauthorised use of their music by Trump or his administration.

The controversy comes during an otherwise triumphant period for Kahan, whose album The Great Divide recently gave him his first ever number one on the Billboard 200 and had the third-biggest opening week of any album this year. The 17-track record, a follow-up to his breakthrough album Stick Season, was later expanded into a 21-track edition, The Great Divide: The Last of the Bugs. Kahan is currently touring in support of the album, having recently completed a sold-out four-night run at Boston's Fenway Park, where he was inducted into the venue's artist hall of fame.