Pokémon rebukes White House’s use of its IP in a social media post
Pokémon Company International said it did not authorize the White House to publish “social content that includes images associated with our brand” after the administration shared on social media Thursday a “Make America Great Again” meme that resembles the cover of Nintendo’s new game.
The image, shared on official White House accounts, appears to be an AI-generated graphic in the style of Pokémon Pokopia, a life simulation game launched by Nintendo on Thursday. The text on the social post reads “make America great again” in Pokopia’s colorful signature font.
“We were not involved in its creation or distribution, and no permission has been granted for the use of our intellectual property,” a company spokesperson said. “Our mission is to bring the world together, and that mission is not affiliated with any political point of view or agenda. »
The company did not say whether it plans to take legal action. A White House representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Trump administration has changed its tone on social media during President Donald Trump’s second term, with the use of trending memes becoming commonplace on official accounts.
But the White House has been criticized for using branded intellectual property for its online political messages without permission.
In September, Pokémon Company International issued a similar statement to the media after the Department of Homeland Security released a video compilation of Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests, interspersed with clips from “Pokémon” and set to the anime’s theme song, “Gotta Catch ‘Em All!”
In March, the White House sparked outrage online when it released an AI-generated image in the style of Studio Ghibli — the iconic Japanese animation studio known for its warm, cozy art — of a crying, handcuffed woman being deported by ICE.
Days after the United States entered war with Iran, the White House caused shock and confusion this week when its social media accounts shared a video compilation mixing real videos of missile strikes in Iran with video game clips from the popular first-person shooter franchise “Call of Duty.”
Microsoft, owner of the video game publisher, Activision, declined to comment on the subject Thursday.
A handful of celebrities have also publicly reprimanded the U.S. government for using their works without permission.
After DHS used her song “All-American Bitch” to promote ICE in November, Olivia Rodrigo told the agency on social media, “never use my songs to promote your racist and hateful propaganda.” Less than a month later, Sabrina Carpenter also called the White House’s use of her song “Juno” in a pro-ICE video “nasty and disgusting.” And SZA accused the White House of “harassing artists for free promotion” after using her track “Big Boy” in the same way.
Podcaster and comedian Theo Von, who interviewed Trump in 2024 and expressed support for him during his inauguration last year, urged the DHS last year to remove a viral video clip of him saying, “I heard you got deported, man, bye!”
“I know you know my address so send a check,” Von wrote on
