White House Promotes Iran War With Action Movie, Sports, and Video Game Footage

Critics condemn the 'gamification' of deadly real-life conflict

Mar. 10, 2026 at 10:37am

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The Trump administration has released a series of social media videos that mix real footage of the war in Iran with clips from popular action movies, sports highlights, and video games in an effort to promote the conflict. The videos have drawn criticism from religious leaders and actors whose work was used without permission.

Why it matters

The White House's use of entertainment media to glorify and trivialize the war in Iran raises concerns about the ethical implications of using popular culture to shape public opinion about real-life military conflicts. Critics argue this 'gamification' of war dishonors those who have suffered and died.

The details

The White House videos feature a rapid-fire montage of footage, including explosions, fighter jets, and buildings being destroyed, interspersed with clips from movies like 'Braveheart' and 'Top Gun,' as well as video game footage and sports highlights. The videos are set to aggressive music and accompanied by captions like 'JUSTICE THE AMERICAN WAY.' Two actors, Ben Stiller and Steve Downes, whose work appeared in the videos, have condemned the use of their depictions without permission.

  • The White House began releasing the videos on its social media channels in March 2026.

The players

White House

The executive office of the President of the United States, which has released the controversial videos promoting the war in Iran.

Ben Stiller

An actor whose work from the 2008 movie 'Tropic Thunder' was used in the White House videos without his permission.

Steve Downes

The voice actor who portrays the protagonist Master Chief in the Halo video game series, who has condemned the use of his character's likeness in the White House's 'disgusting and juvenile war porn' videos.

Cardinal Blase J. Cupich

The Archbishop of Chicago, who has condemned the White House's approach to the Iran conflict as treating the suffering of the Iranian people as 'a backdrop for our own entertainment.'

Anna Kelly

A White House spokeswoman who defended the administration's use of the videos, stating that they 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.'

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What they’re saying

“I have no interest in being part of your propaganda machine. War is not a movie.”

— Ben Stiller, Actor

“These videos are disgusting and juvenile war porn.”

— Steve Downes, Voice actor for Master Chief in Halo

“Our government is treating the suffering of the Iranian people as a backdrop for our own entertainment, as if it's just another piece of content to be swiped through while we're waiting in line at the grocery store. But, in the end, we lose our humanity when we are thrilled by the destructive power of our military.”

— Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, Archbishop of Chicago

What’s next

The White House has not indicated whether it will remove the videos or accommodate the requests of the actors whose work was used without permission.

The takeaway

The White House's use of popular entertainment media to promote the war in Iran raises ethical concerns about the 'gamification' of real-life conflict and the potential trivialization of human suffering. This approach highlights the broader challenge of maintaining a sense of humanity and perspective when powerful institutions leverage the attention-grabbing qualities of modern media and culture.