August M
Politicians often turn to trendy hit songs to give their social media clips a youthful boost.
Connecting with younger audiences online often requires finding the right soundtrack. Yet using a famous song without permission can quickly spark an embarrassing public dispute, reports Raw Story.
Unapproved soundtrack
The Trump White House found itself in another high-profile row with a popular musician this week. According to Rawstory, officials posted video footage of President Donald Trump visiting a General Motors facility in Michigan set to the track “American Cars” by folk-pop star Noah Kahan.
The singer did not stay quiet when the video began circulating across social media platforms. Kahan went straight to the comment section on Instagram to call out the administration.
“Would never approve of my music being used in support of you or this administration,” Kahan wrote directly beneath the White House upload.
Songwriter Gabe Simon, who co-wrote the track, also criticized the unauthorized post, according to People. White House staff eventually removed the music from the Instagram clip, but the video stayed active on TikTok.
Firing back online
White House aides refused to let the comment pass without a fight. Deputy Assistant to the President Kaelan Dorr took to social media to mock the singer using the name of Kahan’s popular 2022 hit.
“Symptoms of TDS apparently include having a northern attitude,” Dorr wrote on X. The acronym stands for “Trump derangement syndrome,” a label frequently used by the administration to dismiss political critics.
White House representatives defended the upload by explaining that the song was selected from Instagram’s public music catalog, according to HuffPost. They argued that anyone on the app had full access to use the track.
Long list of stars
Still, the dispute is part of a growing trend of musicians rejecting the administration’s social media strategy. Pop star Katy Perry recently revealed she was “appalled” after officials used her hit song “Firework” in a promotional video showing military strikes.
Her sharp response sparked a heated reaction among supporters and unsettled some administration staff. High-profile performers like Celine Dion, Kesha, and Tom Petty’s estate have also demanded that Trump stop using their music without permission.
Sources: Rawstory, People, HuffPost
