White House activates Yu-Gi-Oh's trap card by using anime clip for war comms
- Reference: 1773334890
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2026/03/12/yugioh_us_propaganda/
- Source link:
The White House's recent foray into meme culture has seen it publish surreal montages of clips taken from popular films, TV shows, and video games, all mashed together with real US war footage to modernize its defense comms.
One March 6, video included a clip of Yu-Gi-Oh protagonist Yugi Mutou shouting "now end this" appearing for just one second in the 42-second clip posted to the White House's X account, before cutting to an illustration of the President's residence with the timeless "flawless victory" Mortal Kombat soundbite closing the sequence.
[1]
The video, titled "JUSTICE THE AMERICAN WAY. 🇺🇸🔥," features snippets from Top Gun: Maverick, Iron Man, Tropic Thunder, and Netflix sensations Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad, among others.
[2]
[3]
It [4]really must be seen to be believed.
However, the team behind the Japanese anime and card game franchise certainly can believe it, and expressed dissatisfaction that their work is, among many other entertainment products, being transformed into US propaganda.
[5]
"It has come to our attention that a post on the White House's official X account used footage from the anime series Yu-Gi-Oh!," it [6]stated via X.
"This was made without any authorization from the rights holder. Regarding this matter, no one associated with the manga or anime had any involvement, and no permission was granted for the use of this intellectual property."
The social media strategy kicked off on March 5, days after the White House media team began sharing unclassified footage taken from military vehicles launching strikes at targets in [7]Iran .
[8]
Some videos depicted aircraft dropping explosive ordnance on surface-based missile launchers, while other videos showed US submarines sinking Iranian vessels at sea.
[9]Anthropic sues US government after unprecedented national security designation
[10]Altman said no to military AI abuses – then signed Pentagon deal anyway
[11]Cyberwarriors elevated to big leagues in US war with Iran
[12]US struck Iran with copies of its own drones
Altogether, the media strategy evolved into merging this unclassified footage with pop-culture references, including a profane clip from the video game franchise Grand Theft Auto.
Yu-Gi-Oh is not alone in its frustration. Actor Ben Stiller and Steve Downes, who voices Halo's Master Chief, have criticized the [13]Trump regime for using their likenesses without consent.
Pokémon Company International also previously criticized the White House's social media team for using its game imagery in a post cartoonifying the President's trademark "Make America Great Again" phrase.
"We were not involved in its creation or distribution, and no permission was granted for the use of our intellectual property," [14]said Sravanthi Dev, spokesperson for the company.
"Our mission is to bring the world together, and that mission is not affiliated with any political viewpoint or agenda."
A spokesperson at the White House told The Register that "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." ®
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[4] https://x.com/WhiteHouse/status/2029741548791853331
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[6] https://x.com/yugioh_anime/status/2031535577913254032
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2026/03/11/iran_threatens_us_tech_companies/
[8] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33abNFkkjKPcEGikZAEk1hAgAAAA4&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2026/03/06/anthropic_left_with_no_other/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2026/03/06/openai_dod_deal/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2026/03/03/cyberwarriors_us_iran_war/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2026/03/02/us_iran_clone_drones/
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2026/03/05/trump_administration_spoiling_for_a/
[14] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj4z0l8wvvdo
[15] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
I read it as Staler and Waldorf.
*Statler and Waldorf
Let's go copyright holders!
Never thought I'd be saying, "Fire up the DMCA, boys, and take that down ASAP!"
How times have changed. Yarrrr.
Re: Let's go copyright holders!
Yu gi oh about to be declared a supply chain risk
Re: Let's go copyright holders!
Yugi on the FBI most wanted list
Imagine growing up and idolising Nixon and Kissinger, then finally having a chance to do likewise.
Getting into the realms of fantasy here
Would that be a certain Secretary of Defense , sorry, War, Mr Pete Hegseth around 27s in? Him of:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/08/pete-hegseth-pentagon-trump-iran
"Brash and bellicose, he sounded more like a cartoon bully than a sombre statesman. " (My emphasis.)
Ahh, so that's why they chose those clips.
(They do know that Tony Stark, GTA , John Wick etc are fictional , don't they?)
The sad thing here is that the most likely outcomes from their war with Iran are chaos, starvation and death in Iran with armed groups taking control if the IRGC is effectively destroyed, and if the IRGC survives, almost complete or erratic closure of the Strait of Hormuz resulting in severe shortages of oil, gas, fertiliser and surprisingly, Helium*, plus millions of refugees in Turkey and Pakistan, and an even more oppressive regime in Iran. The likelihood of an unarmed popular uprising overwhelming the well armed and ruthless IRGC is pure fantasy.
* Qatar, which accounts for one-third of the world’s supply of helium according to the Canada Energy Regulator, has seen its exports come under strain. https://globalnews.ca/news/11726231/iran-war-global-helium-shortage/
Re: Getting into the realms of fantasy here
Given how much helium we waste, critical uses shouldn't expect a shortage, just price hikes. MRIs and semiconductor manufacturing won't be interrupted. Party balloons will.
Honestly, I wouldn't mind seeing helium balloons become one of those abandoned relics of the past. Helium is one of Earth's ultimate non-renewable and non-replaceable resources. Honestly, it should be subject to an excise tax to discourage waste, and the EU should build a strategic helium reserve to preserve supplies for the long haul.
When we're done co-extracting it from gas fields...that's all, folks.
Re: if the IRGC is effectively destroyed
IIRC, Iran also has what is an equivalent of the regular armed forces, the Artesh. It might be that if they end up significantly less demolished than the IRGC, they (or parts thereof) could act decisively ... although whether they might want to or not is another matter. Chaos, starvation and death would be likely either way, I suppose, just the amount of each being somewhat variable. :-/
The Register is "legacy media"
I had no idea
Yu-Gi-Oh
Where are Yu-Gi-Oh and his sidekick Boo-Boo-oh and the Jellystone park ranger?
From someone who knows what they are talking about...
Jeremy Bowen has [1]written a considered article which he read out in full on Today yesterday, or was it PM? Well worth a read.
M.
[1] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn0znx4xrl9o
Re: From someone who knows what they are talking about...
As the article says, the US didn't support Iraq's uprising. They didn't protect Ukraine in exchange for Ukraine discontinuing nuclear weapons. They didn't support Syria's Kurds. They're not exactly protecting the GAC countries at the moment (they can't even defend their own bases in the GAC countries). I'm in no doubt they wouldn't come to the aid of any NATO country which invoked Article 5, in fact they want to acquire a NATO country for themselves. There's only one country they seem to be able to protect and we all know which one it is.
For decades the deal was for countries to outsource their security to the US but the US had no intention of keeping its side of the bargain, it was just so it had no competition.
Everything about that video just screamed so loudly "how do you do, fellow kids?" in a warmongering fashion.
Can't those cringy fascist get a collective aneurysm already, so the world has some hope of becoming less stupid.
Incels posting videos for incels.
Ships at sea?
> while other videos showed US submarines sinking Iranian vessels at sea.
isn't this whole attack supposed to be based on nuclear disarmament, and removing leaders from power who refused to give up seeking nuclear weapons? what the hell do ships at sea have to do with nuclear disarmament??
I know, I know. Nothing. The whole justification was a joke, this isn't even a show of force, it's one asshole bullying a sovereign nation. (Almost like it's always been, but, amazingly, it's worse.)
"the legacy media wants us to apologize for highlighting the United States Military's incredible success"
Err no, you bunch of half-witted numbnuts, they want you to apologise for ripping off their IP and using it without permission. You know, like, a decent, law-abiding, administration would be bending over backwards to do. So entirely unlike, alas, the present shower of [insert choice phrase to express your own personal feelings here] inhabiting the White House and all the seats of power.
Someone wake me up when this nightmare is all over and sanity has been restored...
That would be at least Rip Van Winkle naps...
...or a couple of generational turnovers
"It really must be seen to be believed."
I've now seen it
I don't believe it...
(Should be read with an appropriate Victor Meldrew tone of voice)