Noah Kahan hits Trump over use of song in social post: ‘Would never approve’
Noah Kahan criticised the White House after it used his song “American Cars” in a social-media video featuring President Trump at a General Motors facility in Michigan. Kahan said he would never approve his music being used to support Trump or his administration, highlighting continuing disputes between artists and the White House over political use of popular songs.
The video was posted on official White House accounts, and the audio was later muted on Instagram but reportedly remained on TikTok. Kahan’s co-writer, Noah Levine, also objected publicly; the episode follows similar objections from other musicians whose work has appeared in Trump administration posts.
In short
- Noah Kahan opposed White House use of “American Cars”.
- The video showed Trump visiting a GM facility.
- The dispute echoes other artists’ objections.
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The case for
Artists can reasonably object when their music is used in an official political message they oppose, since audiences may read the pairing as an endorsement and artists have a strong interest in how their work and public identity are represented. Respecting those objections also supports norms around consent and the licensing of creative work.
The case against
A government may argue that using a song in a public social-media post is a legitimate way to communicate with a broad audience, provided the use complies with applicable licensing rules. From that perspective, a song’s appearance need not imply that its creator endorses the message, and political speech should not be unduly limited by an artist’s disagreement with the administration.
Explained simply
Noah Kahan is an American singer-songwriter whose song "American Cars" was featured in a White House social media post without his permission. He publicly objected, stating he would never approve his music being used to support Trump or his administration.
Disputes over the political use of popular songs have become increasingly common, as musicians seek to control how their work is used and what causes or figures it becomes associated with. Artists may object when their music appears in political posts or at campaign events, as they view such usage as an endorsement they did not authorise.
This is not an isolated incident. Other musicians have also objected when their songs appeared in posts from the Trump White House or administration, indicating an ongoing pattern of tension between artists seeking control over their work and politicians who wish to use popular music in communications.
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