Noah Kahan Challenges White House Use of “American Cars”

The White House posted an Instagram video on a Monday that paired footage of former President Donald Trump touring General Motors’ flagship test site in Michigan with Noah Kahan’s track “American Cars.” The 29-year-old singer later wrote on the post that he would never approve his music being used to support the administration. As of the following Wednesday, the video remained online with Kahan’s song as its soundtrack. The White House has not issued a comment after The Independent reached out for a response.

The Independent

Kahan joins a growing list of artists who have publicly objected to the Trump administration’s use of their songs. Prior grievances include Beyoncé, Ariana Grande, Sabrina Carpenter, Bruce Springsteen, ABBA and Celine Dion. In July, pop star Katy Perry condemned the use of her hit “Firework” on a White House TikTok that accompanied footage of military strikes. Olivia Rodrigo also criticized the Department of Homeland Security and the White House for employing her song “All-American Bitch” in a video urging undocumented immigrants to self-deport.

The Independent

Kahan’s statement emphasized that he had not granted permission for the White House to pair his music with political messaging. The administration’s lack of response leaves the dispute unresolved, mirroring earlier cases where officials declined to comment on similar copyright concerns.

The Independent

• “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,” — Perry

The Independent

Commentators note that these repeated objections highlight a broader tension between artists’ copyright rights and the White House’s practice of repurposing popular music for political communication. The pattern suggests increasing scrutiny of how government entities use copyrighted material without explicit consent.

The Independent