13 times Trump's administration ruined beloved TV and film franchises | indy100

Eric Lee/Getty Images and @WhiteHouse/X

Since taking office in January, Donald Trump’s administration has ushered in a change of tone in government that is in stark contrast to the previous one.

Where typically people expect the government of one of the world’s most powerful countries to be serious and level-headed, it’s arguable that the opposite could be said about the way in which the Trump administration has operated thus far.

One clear example has been how pop culture references more generally have seeped into not only their own social media posts, but beyond, sparking accusations that this government is the most “unserious” and “childlish” administration ever.

We've rounded them all up for you here below...

Game of Thrones

We can go back as far as 2018 to find examples of Trump trampling over popular entertainment series, such as Game of Thrones, which the Republican - then about to be elected for the first time - used to tease the imposition of sanctions on Iran upon entering office.

"Sanctions are coming," the post read, referencing the iconic "winter is coming" line from the series.

Creator George R. R. Martin was unimpressed, tweeting in response: "Fear cuts deeper than words. VOTE, Tuesday the 6th."

Eight years later, Trump's White House returned to Game of Thrones with a tweet claiming the US capital of Washington, D.C. had been "restored".

Star Wars

On the 2025 edition of May 4, a date commonly associated with Star Wars given it allows for 'may the fourth [force] be with you' puns, the White House marked the day by sharing a fake picture of a buff Trump, writing: "Happy May the 4th to all, including the Radical Left Lunatics who are fighting so hard to to bring Sith Lords, Murderers, Drug Lords, Dangerous Prisoners, & well known MS-13 Gang Members, back into our Galaxy.

"You’re not the Rebellion—you’re the Empire. May the 4th be with you.”

Except people soon pointed out that the image of Trump shows him wielding a red lightsaber, the colour associated with the evil Sith.

And when Star Wars Day came around in 2026, Trump once again appeared in an image with a pretty big mistake, as he was depicted as a Mandalorian who wasn't wearing his helmet.

Superman

On the same day that James Gunn's Superman, with David Corenswet in the title role, was released into American cinemas (11 July 2025), the White House decided to join the discourse with an image of Trump in the iconic outfit.

Text accompanying the image read: “THE SYMBOL OF HOPE. TRUTH. JUSTICE. THE AMERICAN WAY. SUPERMAN TRUMP."

South Park

Just days after the Trump administration claimed the much-loved animated TV series South Park was “not relevant” after it mocked the president into oblivion, the Department of Homeland Security posted a still from the show which featured a group of ICE agents.

The image was posted as part of a drive by the government to recruit more immigration agents.

South Park hit back, writing: “Wait, so we ARE relevant? #eatabagofd**ks”.

White House spokesperson, Taylor Rogers, said: “Just like the creators of South Park, the Left has no authentic or original content, which is why their popularity continues to hit record lows.”

Teletubbies

The bizarre pop culture references continued just days later when the White House posted a video of the administration’s border czar Tom Homan as the sun from the 1990s and 2000s kids show Teletubbies.

“Good Sunday Morning. Every criminal illegal alien will be deported - Tom Homan is making America Safe Again,” they wrote, while sharing a clip of Homan’s face as the Teletubbies sun ranting about immigration.

Previously, when asked about the Trump administration's continued use of memes, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told indy100: “Who cares? We won’t apologize for posting banger memes.”

Halo

In a continuation of posts presenting Trump as different fictional characters, the White House responded to a statement announcing the end of "the console wars" (referring to the Halo franchise being exclusive to Xbox consoles) by sharing an image of the US president as the series protagonist Master Chief, accompanied by the text, "power to the players".

Pokémon

Then, in March 2026, the White House decided to borrow from the world of Pokémon - specifically the game Pokémon Pokopia - by sharing the 'Make America Great Again' message in the game's branding.

In a statement provided to The New York Times, a spokesperson for The Pokémon Company clapped back and 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."

Grand Theft Auto

Referencing an iconic phrase from the 2004 game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas which continues to be a meme 22 years later - in which protagonist CJ says "ah, s***, here we go again" - the White House decided to use the clip to inform its followers of its attacks on Iran, looping the dialogue with drone footage which ends with the "wasted" fail screen.

The Beekeeper

When Trump was photographed showing off the White House beehives to King Charles and Queen Camilla back in April, the White House X/Twitter account decided to capitalise on the moment by referring to the US president as "The Beekeeper", referencing the 2024 movie starring Jason Statham.

The meme from the US government soon sparked ridicule given the movie's plot.

SpongeBob SquarePants

Loved by children and adults alike, SpongeBob SquarePants was used by the US Department of Education in May to praise teachers, only for social media users to fume that the animated character Mrs Puff would never associate herself with the Make America Great Again movement.

This would be just one of many franchises adopted by the department to push its messaging, with others including Jimmy Neutron/The Fairly OddParents, The Incredibles, Finding Nemo and The Simpsons.

James Bond

"The name's Trump. Donald Trump."

Doesn't have the same ring to it, does it?

But when it was reported that auditions had begun to cast Daniel Craig's successor as James Bond, the White House waded in by suggesting Trump could very well be 007.

Cars

Ahead of the first Indycar race on the National Mall on 22 and 23 August, titled the Freedom 250 Grand Prix, the Department of Education tweeted an image of Cars star Lightning McQueen with the text: "KA-CHOW! The Freedom 250 Grand Prix is coming to DC!".

Rick and Morty

The White House posted an AI-generated video akin to the title sequence from hit animated series Rick and Morty in July 2026, and Trump supporter turned critic Marjorie Taylor Greene was among those who criticised the post, branding it "weird embarrassing crap".

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