War promotion draws criticism over “gamification” of real conflict

The Trump administration has used a mix of popular entertainment and declassified combat visuals to promote a freshly launched war with Iran through posts on the White House’s social media feed, Associated Press reported. The videos combine quick-cut action-movie scenes, video-game screenshots and sports highlights with real-life combat footage, including imagery presented as declassified.

AP described the posts as cutting between entertainment icons and what it said was declassified material showing combat. Clips cited in the reporting included scenes from “Braveheart,” “Superman,” “Top Gun,” “Breaking Bad,” and “Iron Man,” along with other gaming and sports content.

Some posts also incorporated game and meme-style references that drew criticism. AP said an image of SpongeBob SquarePants was spliced into one post with text asking, “You wanna see me do it again?” AP also said one bomb-heavy post used a caption for “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue,” a title it tied to a Toby Keith song about war.

The reporting said the White House videos sometimes paired combat visuals with music and major-league and football sports moments. AP said two videos featured NFL and college football tackles and Major League Baseball home runs, with the sound of bat cracks interspersed with explosions, and said the clips used ominous or aggressive music including Childish Gambino’s “Bonfire,” Miami XO’s “Bazooka” and AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck.” AP said one posting used the text “JUSTICE THE AMERICAN WAY” alongside flag and fire emojis.

Artists call for removal of depictions they say were used without permission

AP reported that two actors whose work appeared in the videos objected and asked for their depictions to be removed. Ben Stiller, whose image appeared in the material through his work in “Tropic Thunder,” wrote on X that he had “no interest in being part of your propaganda machine. War is not a movie.”

AP also reported objections from Steve Downes, who portrays Master Chief in “Halo.” It said Downes called the videos “disgusting and juvenile war porn” and urged removal of their use of his portrayal.

AP said major sports leagues—including the NFL and Major League Baseball—declined to comment on the use of their footage in the war videos.

Catholic leaders say the approach trivializes death and suffering

The backlash also reached senior U.S. Catholic leadership, according to AP. Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, archbishop of Chicago, said he found it sickening to see a war that has brought real death and suffering being treated like a video game, and said the approach dishonors people who died, including U.S. servicemen.

In a weekend statement, AP reported that Cupich said, “Our government is treating the suffering of the Iranian people as a backdrop for our own entertainment, as if it’s just another piece of content to be swiped through while we’re waiting in line at the grocery store,” and added, “But, in the end, we lose our humanity when we are thrilled by the destructive power of our military.”

White House spokeswoman defends the messaging as highlighting military success

When asked for comment, the White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly defended the posts. AP reported that Kelly said America’s warfighters were meeting or surpassing all of their goals under Operation Epic Fury, and said “The legacy media wants us to apologize for highlighting the United States Military’s incredible success,” adding that the White House would continue showcasing examples of Iran’s ballistic missiles, production facilities and “dreams of owning a nuclear weapon being destroyed in real time.”

AP also said the White House would not say whether it would accommodate artists who said their work was used without permission.

AP said Zia Haque, director of the Baker Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies at Juniata College, characterized the videos as part of messaging that travels effectively in a digital environment. AP reported that Haque said, “We live in a digital age, and I see this as a use of the space to propagate the message across the board.”

Some observers, AP reported, also described the content as potential recruitment messaging aimed at gamers, noting that the Pentagon’s recruitment efforts using video games date to at least 2002, including the release of a first-person shooter called America’s Army. AP said the Defense Department also sends recruiters to video game conventions and esports tournaments.

AP quoted Ray Deptula, who recently retired from the U.S. Navy after 24 years and rose to the rank of commander, saying many young men want to join because they want to be “cool like the people they see in action movies.” AP reported that Deptula added a warning: “That’s not what your life is going to be like,” and said the reality involves hard work and humility.

Doubts raised about long-term effectiveness with Gen Z focused on values

AP reported that Jeff Fromm, co-author of “Marketing to Gen Z,” expressed doubts about the videos’ long-term effectiveness. AP said Fromm pointed to Generation Z’s interest in transparency and the values of organizations they plan to join, and questioned whether the administration “rates highly in those areas.”

AP also included an example of how real life and game culture can overlap even unintentionally. It said that last week, Trump posted on Truth Social that defense contractors had agreed to “quadruple Production of the ‘Exquisite Class’ Weaponry,” and noted how Final Fantasy XIV players were reminded of game weapons.