Noah Kahan says he 'would never approve' White House using his song to support Trump

Noah Kahan is the latest musician to have his music used without his permission on social media in support of President Donald Trump.

The Vermont native had his song 'American Cars' used in an Instagram post by the White House, which featured images of Trump visiting General Motors' flagship site in Michigan on Monday, July 27.

Kahan was tagged by fans in the comments, leading him to respond to the post on Tuesday afternoon.

"Would never approve of my music being used in support of you or this administration."

🚨| Noah Kahan responds to Donald Trump and The White House using his song ‘American Cars’ in their recent Instagram and TikTok Posts

“Would never approve of my music being used in support of you or this administration” pic.twitter.com/jrnKkTWC3C

— Noah Kahan Archive (@KahanArchive) July 28, 2026

The co-writer of the song, Noah Levine, also commented, "You fat fuck this song isn’t for you."

The sound on the Instagram post has since been disabled. However, it is still included on the TikTok post.

Kahan's response comes only days after Katy Perry's objection to the White House's use of her song 'Firework'. The video posted to their TikTok account contained footage of US military strikes on Iran, alongside the caption "Iran has been warned".

"I did not approve this, I was not asked, and I absolutely do not condone it," Perry wrote on X.

"I wrote this song to be an anthem of hope, healing, and inner strength for people going through their darkest personal moments. To see a message of self-worth and upliftment weaponized to soundtrack destruction and violence is a complete violation of everything my song stands for," she added.

This is just the latest fumble regarding unauthorised use of music by the Trump administration. Many artists have denounced the White House for their co-opting of music.

Whether politicians or government entities can legally use a song usually depends on the venue, licensing agreements in place and how the music is used. Even when its use is legally permitted, artists have argued that it can wrongly make them unwilling participants of political messaging.

Leonard Cohen's estate recently objected to the planned use of his song 'Hallelujah', ahead of the Great American State fair in June.

Sabrina Carpenter called out the administration after they used her song 'Juno' in a video of ICE agents chasing and detaining immigrants, in December.

"This video is evil and disgusting," Carpenter replied to the post on X. "Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda."

Olivia Rodrigo rejected the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) use of her song 'All-American Bitch' on a video urging illegal immigrants to self-deport, in November.

“Don’t ever use my songs to promote your racist, hateful propaganda,” she commented on Instagram.

This earned a response from the DHS, "America is grateful all the time for our federal law enforcement officers who keep us safe," they wrote, referencing Rodrigo's song lyrics.

"We suggest Ms. Rodrigo thank them for their service, not belittle their sacrifice."

In October, Kenny Loggins called out Trump after he utilised his 1986 song, 'Danger Zone' in an AI-generated video posted to Truth Social.

In his third presidential campaign, Celine Dion, Beyoncé, ABBA, and the Foo Fighters all objected to the use of their music, with Jack White of The White Stripes filing a federal lawsuit.