White House Responds to Noah Kahan’s Objection Over Use of “American Cars” in Trump Post

The White House responded Thursday to criticism from Grammy-nominated folk-pop artist Noah Kahan, who objected to the administration’s use of his song “American Cars” in a social media promotion. The dispute began when the White House and official POTUS accounts shared a joint Instagram post showing President Donald Trump visiting a General Motors test facility in Michigan, captioned “Made in America is BACK,” which featured Kahan’s track.

Kahan took to Instagram to voice his disapproval, writing that he would “never approve of my music being used in support of you or this administration.” His co-writer on the song responded with expletive-laden criticism, according to reporting from Variety.

Rather than withdraw the content, the White House Office of Digital Strategy escalated the situation. Kaelan Dorr posted on X, mocking Kahan’s stance by referencing his hit song “Northern Attitude,” which has garnered over 700 million streams. The post used the term “TDS,” shorthand for “Trump Derangement Syndrome,” a phrase commonly deployed by conservatives to characterize opposition to the president. Instagram subsequently marked the post’s audio as unavailable.

Kahan is among a growing number of musicians who have disputed the administration’s use of their work. Artists including Sabrina Carpenter, SZA, Celine Dion, Beyoncé, Olivia Rodrigo and Katy Perry have all registered objections to recent instances of their songs being repurposed by the White House or federal agencies without authorization.

The Vermont native has largely avoided involvement in national political debates, instead dedicating his efforts to mental health advocacy. He established the Busyhead Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing stigma surrounding mental health and expanding access to mental health resources. Vermont Gov. Phil Scott, a Republican, designated September 19 as “Noah Kahan’s Busyhead Project Day” in recognition of these efforts.