The White House posted a slideshow on Instagram and TikTok featuring Noah Kahan’s song “American Cars” with the caption “Made in America is BACK.” Kahan publicly stated he would never approve of his music supporting the administration. Multiple additional details remain unverified across available sources.
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“Noah Kahan hits Trump over use of song in social post: ‘Would never approve’”
Read at The Hill →“A Deal Put Noah Kahan’s Music On Meta. Now He’s Mad Trump Can Use It.”
Read at The Daily Wire →Noah Kahan’s rejection highlights institutional attempts to appropriate cultural symbols for messaging many creators view as misaligned with their values.
“Consent, power imbalances, and individual agency against co-optation”
The swift objection fits a pattern of selective artist pushback against Republican-aligned content while similar uses by other administrations draw less response.
“Asymmetry in cultural enforcement and narrowing of shared national symbols”
Kahan’s statement illustrates retained moral authority over creative work even after platform licensing deals.
“Property rights and voluntary disassociation from state messaging”
All three views accept unverified details and overlook the licensing agreement’s purpose of enabling broad platform use without individual approvals.
“Routine platform mechanics and selective scrutiny of objections tied to specific policy themes”
Ratings by MBFC