The Trump White House lost its cool with a popular musician after he called out Trump for using his song without permission.
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The White House used the song “American Cars” in its social media posts earlier this week, pairing it with images and video of President Donald Trump’s Monday visit to a General Motors facility in Michigan. The song’s artist, folk-pop star Noah Kahan, called out Trump for using it without his permission.
“Would never approve of my music being used in support of you or this administration,” Kahan wrote in the comments of the White House Instagram post using the song. People reported that songwriter Gabe Simon, who co-wrote “American Cars,” criticized the song’s use as well. The track was removed from the White House’s Instagram post but stayed on the White House TikTok account.
On Wednesday, the Trump administration took to X to call out Kahan. Deputy Assistant to the President Kaelan Dorr wrote, “Symptoms of TDS apparently include having a northern attitude.” TDS refers to “Trump derangement syndrome,” a label that Trump uses for his critics. Dorr’s post was also referencing Kahan’s 2022 hit “Northern Attitude.”
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The White House defended itself by arguing that the track was in Instagram’s public library and that anyone could use it, according to HuffPost.
Trump has repeatedly been shut down and slammed after using popular artists’ work without their permission. Over the weekend, pop star Katy Perry took to X to say she was “appalled” to see that the Trump administration had “weaponized” her song “Firework” for a video of military violence. Her response led to a MAGA meltdown and upset some Trump officials.
Celine Dion, Kesha, and Tom Petty’s estate have also joined the long list of artists who have called out Trump for using their music without permission.
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