The White House is facing a fresh wave of criticism after it posted a video mixing footage of military strikes in Iran with clips from action movies and television series.
The White House shared the 42-second clip Thursday evening with the caption, “JUSTICE THE AMERICAN WAY.” The video includes footage of strikes edited between scenes from several movies, including “Iron Man 2,” “Gladiator,” and “Braveheart,” as well as clips from TV shows like “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul.”
The video closes with footage of the U.S. striking an Iranian ship, followed by a clip of an animated character saying, “Now end this!” The White House logo then flashes on the screen, as a voice says “Flawless Victory,” a reference to the video game series Mortal Kombat.
Some praised Thursday’s video, including actor Kevin Sorbo, who wrote on X: “Give whoever did this a raise.”
However, others were quick to criticize the White House. Jon Favreau, ex-speechwriter for former President Barack Obama and host of the “Pod Save America” podcast, accused the White House of making light of the conflict with Iran.
“Hundreds of people are dead. Little girls are dead. Six Americans are dead. Others are risking their lives,” he wrote on X. “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 f***ing war.”
Journalist Nick Bryant wrote: “Is there any grown up in the White House?”
“Is there any understanding of the seriousness and horror of war? This is frat house not White House,” he added.
The White House’s video also featured a clip from “Tropic Thunder,” prompting a response Ben Stiller, who directed, co-wrote and starred in the 2008 film.
“Hey White House, please remove the Tropic Thunder clip. 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.
This comes after the White House faced widespread backlash Wednesday for sharing a video of real missile strikes edited together with scenes from the video game franchise Call of Duty.
This criticism hasn’t deterred the White House, which shared another video Friday that combined strike footage with an infamous clip of a character from the Grand Theft Auto video game series saying, “Ah s***, here we go again.”
After each strike, the word “wasted” flashed across the screen, referencing the message Grand Theft Auto players see when their character dies.
The White House captioned the video: “OPERATION EPIC FURY. Destroy Iran’s missile arsenal. Destroy their navy. Ensure they NEVER get a nuclear weapon. Locked in.”
When reached for comment, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told The Independent: “Under the decisive leadership of President Trump, America’s heroic warfighters are meeting or surpassing all of their goals under Operation Epic Fury.”
“The legacy media wants us to apologize for highlighting the United States Military’s incredible success, but the White House will continue showcasing the many examples of Iran’s ballistic missiles, production facilities, and dreams of owning a nuclear weapon being destroyed in real time,” she added.
The Iranian government has said at least 1,230 people have been killed in the attacks so far, the Associated Press reported Thursday.
Military investigators have also found it’s likely U.S. forces were responsible for a strike that hit a girls’ school in southern Iran, Reuters reported Thursday, citing two U.S. officials. Iranian officials have said more than 175 people were killed, including 150 students.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters Wednesday that officials were investigating the incident and said the U.S. would “never target civilian targets.” When asked that same day whether the deaths were the result of a U.S. strike, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters, “Not that we know of.”
Leavitt also told Reuters, “While the Department of War is currently investigating this matter, the Iranian regime targets civilians and children, not the United States of America.”
The Independent has contacted the White House for comment.
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