Noah Kahan Slams White House for Using Song in Social Media Post: ‘Would Never Approve’ 6 hours ago Carín León, Rauw Alejandro Lead Premios Juventud Nominations List (EXCLUSIVE) 19 hours ago Ariana Grande Sues Hackers for Leaking Unreleased Music and Footage 1 day ago Noah Kahan is the latest among musicians firing back against the White House for using their music on social media, responding to an Instagram post that utilized his song “American Cars.” The White House post from Monday featured images of President Donald Trump while visiting General Motors’ flagship test site in Michigan. After many fans tagged Kahan in the comments, he responded on Tuesday afternoon with a message of disapproval: “Would never approve of my music being used in support of you or this administration.” Related Stories India's Paid Music Subscribers Could Hit 30 Million by 2028, EY-IMI Report Finds Cricket Rules India's Streaming Viewership in New Ormax StreamView Report “American Cars” was used in White House posts on both Instagram and TikTok . It appears the sound was disabled on Instagram, but is still included on the TikTok post.
Noah Levine, who co-wrote “American Cars” with Kahan, also left an Instagram comment that was much more pointed, writing, “You fat fuck this song isn’t for you.” Popular on Variety Representatives for Kahan and the White House did not immediately respond to Variety ‘s request for comment. Kahan joins a growing list of artists who have spoken out against the White House for using their music on social media. This past weekend, Katy Perry blasted the administration for using her 2010 hit “Firework” in a TikTok post that included footage of military strikes.
“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,” she wrote on X. “I did not approve this, I was not asked, and I absolutely do not condone it.” In June, Ariana Grande shared similar sentiments after the White House used a version of her 2024 song “Bye” in a TikTok post that depicted ICE agents arresting and handcuffing people. Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Rodrigo, Celine Dion, Neil Young and the Rolling Stones have also criticized Trump for using their songs.
