Noah Kahan says he would not approve of President Trump administration’s use of his song in White House social post

The indie singer criticized the White House’s Instagram caption featuring “American Cars,” saying he “would never approve” of his music being used to support the administration.

2 min readEditor-approved Apex article

President Donald Trump’s administration faced a public backlash Tuesday after singer Noah Kahan said he would not have approved the White House’s use of his song “American Cars” in a social media post.

According to a report from The Hill, Kahan responded in the comments on the White House Instagram post, writing: “Would never approve of my music being used in support of you or this administration.” The White House caption, as described by the outlet, included the phrase “Made in America is BACK.”

The exchange highlights how copyright and artist licensing questions can surface in political communications, even when the underlying message is presented as promotional rather than partisan.

The Hill report did not provide details about the terms of any licensing arrangement, whether the administration had permission from rights holders, or whether the White House had provided any statement about how it selected music for the post.

Kahan’s criticism comes as the Trump White House has used social media and captioned videos or imagery to frame administration themes, including manufacturing and economic policy. White House communications published in late July elsewhere have emphasized “Made in Michigan” and related language in the context of administration trade and economic priorities, though those materials do not establish facts about the specific Instagram post.

No court filing, cease-and-desist letter, or official White House response addressing Kahan’s comment was identified in the available record associated with this report.

If the White House or rights holders and the artist disagree about permission or usage, the dispute would typically move through private licensing channels or, if unresolved, through legal processes governing copyright, contract, or related claims. As of the time of this reporting, the central factual record is the White House Instagram post described by The Hill and Kahan’s written reaction in the comments.

The next step, absent an official clarification, would be confirmation from either the White House or the relevant rights holders about whether permission was obtained for “American Cars” to be used in the administration’s social media communications, and whether any adjustment is planned to remove or replace the music.

Why It Matters

The incident raises practical questions about permission and licensing when copyrighted music is used in government-linked communications.
Because the dispute is centered on a social media post, timing and whether the White House edits or removes the content can affect how the issue plays out publicly.
If rights or permission are contested, any resolution would follow established copyright or contract processes rather than a legislative or administrative action by a government agency.
The episode shows that even non-campaign political messaging can trigger speech-related and intellectual property disputes with creators and rights holders.

Sources

Key Facts

The White House posted an Instagram message described by The Hill as using Noah Kahan’s song “American Cars.”
In comments on that post, Kahan said, “Would never approve of my music being used in support of you or this administration.”
The White House caption included the phrase “Made in America is BACK,” according to The Hill’s report.
The available record does not include an official White House statement addressing Kahan’s criticism or the licensing status of the song’s use.
No court filings or formal legal actions connected to the post were identified in the supplied materials.