Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Read more
Noah Kahan is the latest artist to call out the White House for using his music without permission.
The White House used Kahan’s song “American Cars” in a Monday Instagram post that featured pictures of President Donald Trump visiting General Motors’ flagship test site in Michigan.
After the singer, 29, was summoned to the comments by his fans, Kahan wrote on the post Tuesday: “Would never approve of my music being used in support of you or this administration.”
As of Wednesday morning, the post was still set to Kahan’s song. The Independent has reached out to the White House for comment.
The “Stick Season” singer joins a long list of musicians who have pushed back against the Trump administration’s use of their songs, including Beyoncé, Ariana Grande, Sabrina Carpenter, Bruce Springsteen, ABBA and Celine Dion.
Noah Kahan has called out the White House for using his music without permission (Getty Images).png)
Noah Kahan said he ‘would never approve’ of the White House using his music (Instagram)
Most recently, Katy Perry spoke out against her 2010 hit “Firework” being used in the White House’s post on TikTok that featured footage of military strikes amid the war in 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 in a post on X shared July 25. “I did not approve this, I was not asked, and I absolutely do not condone it.”
She continued: “I wrote this song to be an anthem of hope, healing, and inner strength for people going through their darkest personal moments. 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,” she concluded.
Last month, Grande criticized the White House for using her song “Bye” in a social media post showing clips of U.S. immigration arrests.
Grande wrote in the comments of the post: “Please do not ever use my music in relation to this barbaric, inhumane, heinous nonsense. fck ICE.”
In November 2025, Olivia Rodrigo spoke out against the Department of Homeland Security and the White House after the agencies used her song “All-American Bitch” in a video telling undocumented immigrants to “self-deport.”
“Don’t ever use my songs to promote your racist, hateful propaganda,” she wrote.
The next month, Sabrina Carpenter called out the White House for using her song “Juno” in a video that made light of people being arrested by ICE agents, which she described as “evil and disgusting.”
“Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda,” Carpenter wrote.