Noah Kahan has told the White House he never authorised the use of his song "American Cars" in social-media posts tied to President Trump's visit to a Michigan auto plant, joining a long roster of artists who have objected to the Trump administration playing their music without permission.

According to Billboard, the White House posted videos and photos on TikTok and Instagram cued to "American Cars" after Trump's visit to the General Motors proving grounds in Milford, Michigan. The track appears on Kahan's fourth studio album, The Great Divide, which reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 — the weekly ranking of the top-selling albums in the United States. Billboard

Kahan made his position clear in the comments of a White House Instagram post dated Monday, July 27, 2026. "Would never approve of my music being used in support of you or this administration," he wrote. The comment had drawn more than 21,000 likes by the time Billboard published its report on July 29. Billboard noted that Kahan's statement came from his publicly visible Instagram comments, not from an interview or statement provided to the outlet.

Noah Levine, Kahan's frequent co-writer and co-author of "American Cars," also responded on the White House Instagram post, writing: "You fat f–k this song isn't for you." Fans later reported that Levine's comment appeared to have been removed from the post. At press time, the sound on the White House Instagram post featuring "American Cars" had been disabled. The song, however, remained in the White House TikTok from the event, where it played as Trump signed a white Corvette.

A White House spokesperson had not returned Billboard's request for comment at the time of publication.

Kahan also addressed the situation on his own social channels. An Instagram reel on his official account (@noahkahanmusic) carrying the caption "didn't know you drove American cars" drew roughly 243,000 likes and 874 comments. He posted the same line on X from his account (@NoahKahan), where it received 84 replies.

The confrontation follows a pattern that stretches across Trump's political career. Billboard noted that Kahan joins a list of artists who have called out the Trump administration for using their music without permission, including Katy Perry, Ariana Grande, Beyoncé, Adele, Celine Dion, Foo Fighters, Guns N' Roses, Jack White, Neil Young, Olivia Rodrigo, Ozzy Osbourne and Rihanna.

Each case turns on the same question: whether a political figure or campaign has secured a licence — the legal permission required to use a recorded song in a public-facing context — or simply pressed play. The White House social-media accounts, like any other user on TikTok or Instagram, are subject to each platform's music-licensing agreements, but those agreements typically cover personal and non-commercial use rather than political messaging. Whether an artist can compel the removal of a post on those grounds often depends on the platform's own enforcement tools rather than a direct legal claim against the White House.