Ben Stiller Condemns White House for Unauthorized Use of ‘Tropic Thunder’ Clip in Military Video

Hollywood actor-director Ben Stiller has publicly criticized the White House for using footage from his 2008 film “Tropic Thunder” without permission in a social media video celebrating U.S. military strikes against Iran.

Taking to social platform X, Stiller expressed his displeasure, writing: “Hey White House, please remove the Tropic Thunder clip. We never gave you permission and have no interest in being a part of your propaganda machine. War is not a movie.”

In follow-up comments, Stiller defended his position, noting that war films are typically created “usually to protest war,” suggesting the White House’s use of the clip contradicted the film’s intended messaging.

The controversial White House video, captioned “JUSTICE THE AMERICAN WAY,” runs 42 seconds and features a montage of footage from recent U.S. military strikes on Iran interspersed with scenes from popular films including “Iron Man 2,” “Gladiator,” and “Braveheart.” The video concludes with footage of a U.S. strike on an Iranian vessel, followed by an anime character declaring, “Now, end this!” The White House logo appears as a voice announces “Flawless Victory,” referencing the video game “Mortal Kombat.”

This isn’t the first instance of an artist objecting to their work being used in White House communications about military operations. Pop singer Kesha recently condemned the administration for using her song “Blow” in another unauthorized social media post. That video depicted a fighter jet launching a missile at a naval ship with the caption “Lethality.”

The White House has faced mounting criticism for its social media strategy regarding the conflict with Iran, particularly for sharing actual missile strike footage edited together with scenes from video games and movies. On Wednesday, a White House post included footage from the popular video game franchise “Call of Duty.” Another clip posted Friday incorporated a well-known scene from “Grand Theft Auto” featuring a character saying, “Ah s***, here we go again,” with the word “wasted” flashing across the screen after each strike—a direct reference to the game’s death animation.

White House spokesperson Anna Kelly defended the administration’s approach in comments to The Independent. “Under the decisive leadership of President Trump, America’s heroic warfighters are meeting or surpassing all of their goals under Operation Epic Fury,” Kelly stated.

She further claimed that “legacy media” was pressuring the White House to apologize for “highlighting the United States Military’s incredible success,” but insisted they would “continue showcasing the many examples of Iran’s ballistic missiles, production facilities, and dreams of owning a nuclear weapon being destroyed in real time.”

The controversy highlights the ongoing tension between artistic copyright, military messaging, and the evolving nature of government communications in the social media age. Copyright experts note that using clips from commercial films and music without permission for government communications likely violates intellectual property laws, regardless of the context.

The administration’s approach also raises questions about the appropriateness of using entertainment media to frame actual military conflicts—a practice some critics have described as trivializing serious geopolitical situations and potentially glamorizing warfare.

The White House has not yet responded directly to Stiller’s request to remove the “Tropic Thunder” footage from their promotional materials.