Singer Noah Kahan spoke out against the White House using his song “American Cars,” saying he “would never approve” its use.
An Instagram Post from the White House on Monday featured images of President Trump visiting General Motors in Michigan with the song “American Cars” in the background. After accounts began tagging Kahan, he responded by saying that he “Would never approve of my music being used in support of you or this administration.”
Noah Levine, who co-wrote the song with Kahan, chimed in with an Instagram comment of his own when he wrote, “You fat fuck this song isn’t for you.”
According to Variety, the White House used the song on both Instagram and TikTok, though the sound was later disabled on Instagram.
Kahan’s protest of the White House using his song comes several days after pop star Katy Perry voiced her disapproval of the administration using her 2010 hit “Firework” for footage of military strikes on Iran.
“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,” Perry said on X. “I did not approve this, I was not asked, and I absolutely do not condone it.”
“I wrote this song to be an anthem of hope, healing, and inner strength for people going through their darkest personal moments,” added Perry. “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. My music is for bringing people together, not celebrating warfare.”