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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThe White House compares deadly conflict to video games and movies
in memeified videos to win support for Iran war
The White House says its war meme strategy has viewers focused on the militarys successes. Others see a disturbing development.
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The White Houses video Friday began with a brief clip from the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. It quickly transitioned to footage of the U.S. military bombing an Iranian vehicle.
Wasted soon appeared on the screen, the same image that flashes across the game when a player dies.
L1, R1, SQUARE, R1, LEFT, R2, R1, LEFT, SQUARE, DOWN, L1, L1, Steven Cheung, the White Houses communications director, tweeted as he posted the Grand Theft Auto cheat code to unlock unlimited ammunition for the user-controlled player.
There were more in recent days: A video titled STRIKE, featuring clips of bowling and bombings, another connecting baseball bombs with the real variety, and a post juxtaposing military strikes to Nintendo Wii gaming.
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Link to story at NBC.
You'll have to go to the link to see the videos. Some are posted on X.
However, here are a few links to these dumb videos that glorify war:
https://www.whitehouse.gov/videos/strike-%F0%9F%92%A5%F0%9F%A6%85/
https://www.whitehouse.gov/videos/laser-focused/
NJCher
(43,050 posts)His take on the story was trump was insulting his supporters by thinking they were stupid enough to be influenced by these videos.
If Rhiannon posts Lawrence's clips tonight, try to watch it. Lawrence has a much better take on this story than the NBC story I posted in my OP.
The NY Times also has a story on this trump glorification of war. I checked archive for a link but they don't have it yet. A few snips:
The Trump Administration Goes to War, by Any Memes Necessary
A series of White House social-media videos turn the carnage in Iran into gleeful entertainment.
A grid of four images shows Mel Gibson in Braveheart, what appears to be military targeting footage, Bob Odenkirk as Saul Goodman, and a robot with a glowing helmet.
A social media video released by the White House mixed pop culture clips with bombing footage.
Credit...A video released by the White House
March 11, 2026
On Feb. 28, the Trump administration launched war on Iran. The following week, it drafted Iron Man, Walter White and SpongeBob.
These characters, and many more figures from movies, TV, sports, music and video game memes, appeared in a series of short, trolling videos from the White House, on platforms including TikTok and X (formerly known as Twitter), that reduce the wars carnage and upheaval to flippant, dystopian amusements.
For Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman, war was hell. But as represented by the Trump White Houses social feeds, war is LOL.
James Poniewozik is the chief TV critic for The Times. He writes reviews and essays with an emphasis on television as it reflects a changing culture and politics.
Rhiannon12866
(254,556 posts)And I make a point of posting Lawrence every night he's on.
Lawrence: Trump's Iran war propaganda videos show the depths of his depravity - The Last Word - MS NOW
https://www.democraticunderground.com/132168639
C_U_L8R
(49,309 posts)Dudes. Dudes. Get your faces out of video games and social media and clean up your goddamn mess.