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White House Claps Back at Noah Kahan for Criticizing Trump’s Use of His Song
The White House publicly mocked singer-songwriter Noah Kahan after he objected to the Trump administration using his song "American Cars" in a video posted to the POTUS and White House Instagram and TikTok accounts. Kahan commented that he would "never approve" of his music being used to support Trump or his administration, a remark that quickly gathered nearly 50,000 likes. The exchange highlights the recurring friction between musicians and the Trump camp over unauthorised use of their work on official and campaign social media.
A White House deputy communications official, Kaelan Dorr, responded on X by joking that "symptoms of TDS apparently include having a northern attitude," a pointed reference to Kahan's song "Northern Attitude." Kahan joins a long list of artists, including Celine Dion, Katy Perry, Kesha and Tom Petty, who have objected to Trump using their music without permission, though enforcement varies as some tracks are freely available through public social media music libraries. He is currently touring in support of his fourth album, The Great Divide, the follow-up to his 2022 breakout Stick Season.
In short
- Kahan criticised Trump's use of his song "American Cars" online.
- White House official mocked him, citing "Northern Attitude" lyric.
- Kahan joins a long list of artists opposing Trump's unauthorised song use.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
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The case for
The White House could argue that using a song available through a social media music library is ordinary platform use, and that its post was political expression rather than an endorsement attributed to Noah Kahan. Its joking reply may also be defended as a pointed response to a public criticism from a prominent artist, within the rough-and-tumble of political debate.
The case against
Kahan could argue that making a song available in a platform library does not mean he consents to its use in official political messaging, which can imply an association he rejects. The White House’s mocking response may be seen as dismissing that legitimate concern instead of clarifying the circumstances of the use and respecting the artist’s stated position.
Explained simply
Noah Kahan is an American singer-songwriter who rose to prominence with his 2022 album Stick Season. The Trump administration recently used one of his songs in an online video, which Kahan publicly objected to.
The unauthorised use of musicians' work by the Trump camp has been a recurring point of friction with artists. Other notable musicians, including Celine Dion, Katy Perry, Kesha and Tom Petty, have also publicly objected to their music being used without permission.
Enforcement of such objections is complicated because some tracks are freely available through public music libraries on social media platforms. Nevertheless, many artists consider the use of their work in overtly political contexts to be inappropriate.
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