The White House's use of Hollywood and gaming content to promote military action has sparked a rare moment of unity among entertainment figures. Creators whose work appeared in propaganda videos about the Iran conflict are demanding removal, claiming the government weaponised their intellectual property for purposes they never authorised.
The White House posted videos blending real footage of missile strikes on Iran with clips from action films and video games, captioned "Justice the American Way."The montage included footage from Breaking Bad, Star Wars, Gladiator, Braveheart, John Wick, Superman, Transformers, Deadpool and Halo.
The response from those featured has been sharp.Steven Downes, voice of the Halo character Master Chief, posted that the White House used images of Master Chief and his voice to support the war in Iran, and that he "did not participate in nor was I consulted, nor do I endorse the use of my voice in this video, or the message it conveys."
Downes went further, stating he demands "the producers of this disgusting and juvenile war porn remove my voice immediately."His voice, uttering Master Chief's trademark phrase "I'm finishing this fight," featured in the video, which splices real-life clips from Trump's Iran war with footage from movies including Iron Man, Braveheart, Top Gun, Transformers and John Wick.
Director Ben Stiller also objected to the video's use of "Tropic Thunder" clips, posting "We never gave you permission and have no interest in being a part of your propaganda machine." Other artists have similarly protested.Pop star Kesha recently criticised the White House for using her song Blow in a video she claimed was intended to incite violence and promote war.
The broader pattern reveals a consistent strategy.This is not the first time the US government has leaned into video games for propaganda purposes. In October 2025, the White House posted an image of Donald Trump as Halo's Master Chief; the US Department of Homeland Security used a different Halo image in a message urging followers to join ICE. Prior to that, the DHS and Customs and Border Patrol used Pokémon imagery to promote anti-immigrant sentiment; the Pokémon Company said it had not granted permission.
The White House brushed off the complaint, and it later posted a "Make America Great Again" message in the Pokopia font; the Pokémon Company said again that it was "not involved in its creation or distribution, and no permission was granted for the use of our intellectual property."
A critical question remains unanswered: why no legal action?Despite objections from major talent, the lack of pushback from major game companies leaves the door open for more of this in the future. The government's willingness to use copyrighted material without consent, and the creative community's reliance on complaint rather than courts, suggests a troubling asymmetry. Entertainment companies protect their intellectual property fiercely in most circumstances; that pattern appears to shift when the government is the party doing the taking.
For Australian audiences, the incident reveals a broader dynamic about how state actors leverage cultural products in the information environment. The line between marketing military action and blurring public understanding of conflict has become increasingly blurred. When governments can lift performances, music, and imagery from creators who explicitly reject the message, the ability to control one's own work and reputation evaporates. That matters well beyond Hollywood.