Pokémon Company International has criticised the White House for using imagery associated with its brand in a social media post promoting the "Make America Great Again" movement.
In a statement, a spokesperson said: "We are aware of recent social content that includes imagery associated with our brand. We were not involved in its creation or distribution, and no permission was granted for the use of our intellectual property. Our mission is to bring the world together, and that mission is not affiliated with any political viewpoint or agenda."
The company previously objected to the Trump administration using its "gotta catch 'em all!" slogan in a September post about immigration enforcement. This week's post, shared on the White House X account on Thursday, featured President Donald Trump's slogan over an animated town in the style of the recently released Pokémon Pokopia video game.
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly defended the post, saying the legacy media wanted an apology for highlighting the US military's success, and that the White House would continue showcasing the destruction of Iran's ballistic missiles, production facilities and nuclear ambitions. She also pointed to the 2016 Hillary Clinton campaign's use of Pokémon Go to recruit voters.
The administration has faced criticism over other pop-culture references. Actor Ben Stiller asked the White House to remove a clip from his film Tropic Thunder, writing: "We never gave you permission and have no interest in being a part of your propaganda machine." White House communications director Steven Cheung mocked CNN for covering a Grand Theft Auto-themed post, thanking the channel for covering "all of our banger videos".
As The Independent has reported, the administration has used memes and provocative imagery on social media to recruit new hires and promote its deportation campaign, with experts describing the images as fascist "propaganda".
