Activision Blizzard, the publisher of the Call of Duty video game franchise, stated Thursday that no permission was granted for the Trump administration’s use of intellectual property in a recent social media post. The White House shared a video on its official X account Wednesday featuring gameplay footage from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 intercut with footage of U.S. Military strikes in Iran, accompanied by a caption reading “Courtesy of the Red, White & Blue.”
The video, which depicts in-game kill streaks overlaid onto real-world footage of bombings, celebrated the administration’s actions in Iran, where strikes initiated Saturday have reportedly resulted in over 1,000 deaths, including Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, and numerous other officials. A strike blamed on American forces also hit a girls’ school, resulting in the deaths of over 150 students and staff, according to reports.
This is not the first instance of the Trump administration utilizing gaming culture for promotional purposes. In October 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) posted imagery from the Halo franchise to X, encouraging recruitment for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The DHS stated it would continue to use pop culture imagery to “bring awareness” to its initiatives. That post, like the recent Call of Duty video, drew criticism for its tone and perceived trivialization of conflict.
Prior to the DHS recruitment campaign, the White House itself shared AI-generated images on X depicting President Trump as the Halo protagonist Master Chief. The posts were accompanied by slogans like “Power to the Players.” White House deputy press secretary Kush Desai defended the posts, stating that President Trump is “fully committed to giving power to the players.”
The use of copyrighted material by the administration has prompted questions about legal boundaries and the appropriateness of employing video game aesthetics to promote military actions. Activision Blizzard’s statement did not specify any planned legal action. The White House has not responded to requests for comment regarding the use of the Call of Duty footage.
