White House releases video montages gamifying Iran war on social media
The White House sparked criticism after it released video montages Friday that combined images of real US air strikes on Iran combined with clips from action movies and features from video games.
Issued on: 07/03/2026 -
By: FRANCE 24/Emerald MAXWELL
Video by: Emerald MAXWELL
The White House sparked criticism after it released video montages Friday that combined images of real US air strikes on Iran combined with clips from action movies and features from video games.
Issued on: 07/03/2026 -
By: FRANCE 24/Emerald MAXWELL
Video by: Emerald MAXWELL
A partially redacted image from a video provided by US Central Command shows a complex of structures in Iran being struck by missiles fired by US forces on March 1, 2026. © US Central Command via AP
01:43
The White House's social media blurred the lines of reality Friday, posting montages that wove snippets of Hollywood blockbusters and video games into real footage of military strikes on Iran.
A 42-second video posted on X with the caption "Justice the American way" opens with a scene from "Iron Man" and the line "Wake up, Daddy's home" – perhaps a reference to an expression used by NATO chief Mark Rutte, who once referred to US President Donald Trump as "daddy."
What follows, in rapid fire, are clips from male actors cast as heroes, including Tom Cruise in "Top Gun: Maverick", Mel Gibson in "Braveheart", Russell Crowe in "Gladiator", Bryan Cranston in "Breaking Bad", and Keanu Reeves in "John Wick".
Hollywood's heroics are interspersed with footage released by the US military showing real strikes on various targets.
Actor and filmmaker Ben Stiller on Friday called on the White House to remove a clip in the video from "Tropic Thunder", a satirical 2008 film about war movies that he directed and co-wrote.
"We never gave you permission and have no interest in being a part of your propaganda machine. War is not a movie," Stiller wrote on X.
01:43
The White House's social media blurred the lines of reality Friday, posting montages that wove snippets of Hollywood blockbusters and video games into real footage of military strikes on Iran.
A 42-second video posted on X with the caption "Justice the American way" opens with a scene from "Iron Man" and the line "Wake up, Daddy's home" – perhaps a reference to an expression used by NATO chief Mark Rutte, who once referred to US President Donald Trump as "daddy."
What follows, in rapid fire, are clips from male actors cast as heroes, including Tom Cruise in "Top Gun: Maverick", Mel Gibson in "Braveheart", Russell Crowe in "Gladiator", Bryan Cranston in "Breaking Bad", and Keanu Reeves in "John Wick".
Hollywood's heroics are interspersed with footage released by the US military showing real strikes on various targets.
Actor and filmmaker Ben Stiller on Friday called on the White House to remove a clip in the video from "Tropic Thunder", a satirical 2008 film about war movies that he directed and co-wrote.
"We never gave you permission and have no interest in being a part of your propaganda machine. War is not a movie," Stiller wrote on X.
Actor Ben Stiller on March 6, 2026, called on the White House to remove a clip from his movie "Tropic Thunder” featured in a video montage on X. © Screengrab via X
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth also appears briefly, in a clip taken from a real briefing, where he says "F-A" before a clip from a "Transformers" movie says "time to find out", using a CGI autobot.
The reference here is to a crude expression very popular in the Trump administration, used to describe its uncompromising attitude towards any adversary: "F-A-F-O", or "Fuck around and find out."
In a second post, the White House interspersed real war footage with a scene from video game "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" in which the player's character is heard repeatedly saying "Ah shit, here we go again," before footage of strikes on Iranian targets.
Trump's campaign was marked by a rage-baiting style of communications, flouting the decorum of past presidents to key into the internet's penchant for trolling and dunking, borrowing from video games and cinema for memes and creating AI posts.
READ MOREVibes war? Trump pitches Iran conflict on 'feeling'
Trump's social media has not shifted tone since he took office.
Last month, he posted a racist clip depicting former president Barack Obama and his wife Michelle as monkeys, and made no apology for it.
Earlier in his presidency, when millions of "No Kings" protesters took to the streets across the US to decry his style of governance, he posted a fake AI video showing himself wearing a crown and flying a fighter jet labeled "King Trump" that dumps excrement on crowds of protesters.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth also appears briefly, in a clip taken from a real briefing, where he says "F-A" before a clip from a "Transformers" movie says "time to find out", using a CGI autobot.
The reference here is to a crude expression very popular in the Trump administration, used to describe its uncompromising attitude towards any adversary: "F-A-F-O", or "Fuck around and find out."
In a second post, the White House interspersed real war footage with a scene from video game "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" in which the player's character is heard repeatedly saying "Ah shit, here we go again," before footage of strikes on Iranian targets.
Trump's campaign was marked by a rage-baiting style of communications, flouting the decorum of past presidents to key into the internet's penchant for trolling and dunking, borrowing from video games and cinema for memes and creating AI posts.
READ MOREVibes war? Trump pitches Iran conflict on 'feeling'
Trump's social media has not shifted tone since he took office.
Last month, he posted a racist clip depicting former president Barack Obama and his wife Michelle as monkeys, and made no apology for it.
Earlier in his presidency, when millions of "No Kings" protesters took to the streets across the US to decry his style of governance, he posted a fake AI video showing himself wearing a crown and flying a fighter jet labeled "King Trump" that dumps excrement on crowds of protesters.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
One clip shows the US strike on an Iranian warship after which the military left 180 crew members to die.
By Sharon Zhang ,
March 6, 2026
It’s unclear if the White House sought rights to use any of these media properties for its propaganda campaign. However, the Trump administration has a history of using media without permission. This week, Pokémon Company International condemned the White House’s use of its new game, Pokémon Pokopia, for an image on social media that said “make america great again” in the art style of the game.
Commentators have condemned the White House for making light of war with its videos.
“Hundreds of people are dead. Little girls are dead. Six Americans are dead. Others are risking their lives. Millions across the Middle East are terrified. It’s not a video game. It’s not a meme. It’s not another chance to troll the libs. It’s fucking war,” said Pod Save America host Jon Favreau.
The video flashed the word "wasted" on top of footage of strikes in the style of the Grand Theft Auto series.Screenshot from a video from the White House via X
For several days in a row, the White House has posted videos on X of the U.S.’s strikes on Iran spliced with footage taken from video games and action movies, in a dystopic form of propaganda that treats the war like a game or like social media content to be mined.
On Friday, the White House account shared a video that began with a popular meme from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, showing a man saying “Ah shit, here we go again.” Immediately after, it shows a video of, presumably, a U.S. strike on a truck in Iran, and the word “wasted” flashes on the screen, as it does in the video game when the character dies.
The same sequence repeats with footage of three other U.S. strikes, including the U.S.’s torpedoing of Iran’s IRIS Dena, which the video also labels as “wasted.” A hip hop song from the game plays in the background.
A U.S. submarine sank Dena in a strike off the coast of Sri Lanka this week. The ship was sailing back from a naval exercise hosted by India when U.S. forces struck it. The U.S. military then left the crew of roughly 180 people to die; Sri Lankan officials recovered 87 bodies and 32 survivors.
The incident has garnered attention as a flashpoint of the U.S.’s actions during the war, which experts have condemned as a potential war crime and potentially unprecedented manner of conduct. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who has pushed for “no stupid rules of engagement” in the war, described the sinking of the Dena as a “quiet death” as the White House bragged about it on social media.
Iranian media reports that the U.S. and Israel’s campaign has killed over 1,300 people so far. Iranian human rights group HRANA reports that 1,168 civilians have been killed, including 194 children. The videos were published as the U.S. investigates the massacre of 175 people at an elementary school in Minab, Iran, on Saturday, mostly children, that evidence shows was carried out by U.S. forces.
The White House used footage of the strike again in a post on Thursday that spliced footage from movies and TV shows with the strikes. “JUSTICE THE AMERICAN WAY,” the White House account wrote, with an American flag emoji and a flame emoji.
That video starts with a clip of Iron Man saying “wake up, daddy’s home,” with clips from Gladiator, Top Gun: Maverick, Better Call Saul, Halo 2, John Wick, Superman, Breaking Bad, Transformers, Deadpool, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and Yu-Gi-Oh!. Interspersed are clips of the U.S. bombing targets.
As the White House logo fades in at the end, a voiceover says “flawless victory,” with audio from video game Mortal Kombat.
The White House posted another similar video on Wednesday. That one begins with a clip showing a person launching a missile in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, then shows footage of a plane taking off from a warship, missile launches, and footage, again, from strikes. The song “Bonfire” by Childish Gambino plays overtop.
For several days in a row, the White House has posted videos on X of the U.S.’s strikes on Iran spliced with footage taken from video games and action movies, in a dystopic form of propaganda that treats the war like a game or like social media content to be mined.
On Friday, the White House account shared a video that began with a popular meme from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, showing a man saying “Ah shit, here we go again.” Immediately after, it shows a video of, presumably, a U.S. strike on a truck in Iran, and the word “wasted” flashes on the screen, as it does in the video game when the character dies.
The same sequence repeats with footage of three other U.S. strikes, including the U.S.’s torpedoing of Iran’s IRIS Dena, which the video also labels as “wasted.” A hip hop song from the game plays in the background.
A U.S. submarine sank Dena in a strike off the coast of Sri Lanka this week. The ship was sailing back from a naval exercise hosted by India when U.S. forces struck it. The U.S. military then left the crew of roughly 180 people to die; Sri Lankan officials recovered 87 bodies and 32 survivors.
The incident has garnered attention as a flashpoint of the U.S.’s actions during the war, which experts have condemned as a potential war crime and potentially unprecedented manner of conduct. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who has pushed for “no stupid rules of engagement” in the war, described the sinking of the Dena as a “quiet death” as the White House bragged about it on social media.
Iranian media reports that the U.S. and Israel’s campaign has killed over 1,300 people so far. Iranian human rights group HRANA reports that 1,168 civilians have been killed, including 194 children. The videos were published as the U.S. investigates the massacre of 175 people at an elementary school in Minab, Iran, on Saturday, mostly children, that evidence shows was carried out by U.S. forces.
The White House used footage of the strike again in a post on Thursday that spliced footage from movies and TV shows with the strikes. “JUSTICE THE AMERICAN WAY,” the White House account wrote, with an American flag emoji and a flame emoji.
That video starts with a clip of Iron Man saying “wake up, daddy’s home,” with clips from Gladiator, Top Gun: Maverick, Better Call Saul, Halo 2, John Wick, Superman, Breaking Bad, Transformers, Deadpool, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and Yu-Gi-Oh!. Interspersed are clips of the U.S. bombing targets.
As the White House logo fades in at the end, a voiceover says “flawless victory,” with audio from video game Mortal Kombat.
The White House posted another similar video on Wednesday. That one begins with a clip showing a person launching a missile in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, then shows footage of a plane taking off from a warship, missile launches, and footage, again, from strikes. The song “Bonfire” by Childish Gambino plays overtop.
It’s unclear if the White House sought rights to use any of these media properties for its propaganda campaign. However, the Trump administration has a history of using media without permission. This week, Pokémon Company International condemned the White House’s use of its new game, Pokémon Pokopia, for an image on social media that said “make america great again” in the art style of the game.
Commentators have condemned the White House for making light of war with its videos.
“Hundreds of people are dead. Little girls are dead. Six Americans are dead. Others are risking their lives. Millions across the Middle East are terrified. It’s not a video game. It’s not a meme. It’s not another chance to troll the libs. It’s fucking war,” said Pod Save America host Jon Favreau.
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