The White House is far from looking cool after referencing Persona 5 in an animated video posted to social media.
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The edit, featuring Donald Trump and other Trump administration members, leans into Persona 5‘s “all-out attack” command made by Futaba. For the fandom, the decision to snag specific scenes from such a beloved game, especially from such an even more esteemed series with anti-political messaging, is wickedly insulting. It’s believed that the self-insert cut scene from Persona 5 is generated by artificial intelligence, making the snippet even more disgraceful.
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 13, 2026
??⚡️? pic.twitter.com/2drxQlsnRn
While Persona 5 is not the only free-standing piece of pop culture in the edit caught by already-enraged fans online, it’s become one of the more prominent titles that have caused the most backlash. The White House’s continuous misunderstanding of major pieces of popular culture used for their own capitalistic gain has been rightfully condemned by the internet before, though Persona fans are unapologetically searing such a controversial government for selfishly using the Phantom Thieves’ likeness for their own agenda. It’s a bit ironic, really, that the Trump administration is exactly the type of people that the Phantom Thieves would target. Ignorance may be truly bliss to those who refuse to open their eyes and understand that they’re not the self-insert heroes that they want to be. A self-appointed savior complex often leads to villainy.
Perhaps Trump’s White House is too mesmerized by the unique aesthetics of the Persona series, which are remarkable in stylization and pleasing to the eye. Admittedly, the Persona series has owned its distinct art style and even more individual understanding of video game storytelling. Maybe the Trump administrstion was blinded by their own misunderstanding of what Persona truly represents, foolishly disturbing the peace while remaining ridicuously unaware that they’re satirizing themselves.
Persona 5 Is Anti-Authoriarian At Its Core
The White House may have felt all-powerful when issuing their all-out attack, yet their unawareness of Persona‘s narrative pillars makes their short-lived moment of seeking validation from the internet all the more shocking, in an incredibly cringeworthy way. It’s not uncommon for the Trump administration to believe that they’re making some sort of grandiose statement by looking towards media that serves as anti-governement messangers instead. Joining the ranks of countless other video games, Persona 5 is completely comfortable in its anti-authoriarian status. For those who truly pay attention (or play the game), it’s not a foreign concept. If anything, there’s hope that Persona 5 will inspire hope for the hopeless.
Persona 5 villainizes those in power, especially those who abuse their power to intentionally cause harm against others while refusing to hold themselves accountable for their actions. The Trump administration’s ongoing and unrelenting forces of division are a reflection of just that: those who priortize their own aggressive rhetoric, resulting in even more notable disruption with no measures of seeking unity. Persona 5 quickly becomes comfortable with the reality that political figures will seek power through intentional deception, calling back to Trump’s deception of the public through grossly misleading claims of a stolen election, approval ratings, and empty promises left unfulfilled.
Persona 5 challenges those who play the game to embrace their own beliefs. There’s the encouragment to question any notion that seems to feel unjust, fight back against corruption, and continue hold unchecked power with great skepticism. It’s only fair to admit that Persona 5 does not view each political figure as an antagonist, yet it’s the irony that the White House would target a game that directly pushes for political awareness and rejection of powerful institutions’ strongholds to be included in such a questionable montage.
Rebellion Is Crucial To Persona 5
What’s even more embarrassing for the White House’s decision to include Persona 5 into their own self-appeasing social media edit isn’t that posts such as these online echo that the Trump administration is focusing on the most unimportant aspects of the current presidenency to platform, but that Persona 5 feasts on the idea of rebellion. Rebellions are built on hope, but freedom comes with responsibility. The White House and its supporters have consecutively lashed out against today’s acts of rebellion, such as the Black Lives Matter movement, the call for attention condemning racial prejudice following George Floyd’s death, ongoing No Kings protests, or the pushback against ICE threatenings immigrants settling in the United States.
Is the Trump Administration not ashamed of using Persona 5 for their own fleeting satisfaction without an ounce of understanding of Persona 5‘s perpetuation of justice and vigilantism? The Phantom Theives themselves represent rebellion against power in any form, standing against abuse, conformity, and sociopolitical upheaval. Just like The Phantom Thieves insist upon the idea of taking back one’s heart, the White House cannot recoil in shock when those who do just that: take back their hearts, and take back their rights.
Persona 5 can be played on PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox, and Playstation.
