Ben Stiller Requests White House Remove Tropic Thunder Clip from Campaign Video

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Ben Stiller has publicly rebuked the White House for using footage from his 2008 film “Tropic Thunder” without permission in a pro-war social media video celebrating military strikes against Iran.

The controversial 42-second montage features actual footage of recent U.S. military strikes interspersed with scenes from popular films including “Iron Man 2,” “Gladiator,” and “Braveheart.” The clip from “Tropic Thunder” shows Tom Cruise dancing as his character Les Grossman.

“Hey White House, please remove the Tropic Thunder clip,” Stiller wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “We never gave you permission and have no interest in being a part of your propaganda machine. War is not a movie.”

The video, captioned “JUSTICE THE AMERICAN WAY,” concludes with footage of a U.S. strike on an Iranian ship, followed by an animated character declaring “Now end this!” before displaying the White House logo alongside the “Mortal Kombat” video game phrase “Flawless Victory.”

This marks the White House’s third controversial video in recent days. The administration faced significant backlash on Wednesday for sharing footage of missile strikes edited together with scenes from the “Call of Duty” video game franchise. Despite the criticism, they followed up Friday with another video combining strike footage with clips from “Grand Theft Auto,” including the game’s “wasted” death screen overlay.

When questioned about the videos, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly defended the administration’s approach, telling 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 continued, “The legacy media wants us to apologize for highlighting the United States Military’s incredible success, but the White House will 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 White House’s celebratory tone contrasts sharply with the human toll of the military campaign. According to the Associated Press, the Iranian government reports at least 1,230 people have been killed in the attacks so far.

The situation has grown more complex with Reuters reporting that U.S. military investigators now believe American forces were likely responsible for a strike on a girls’ school in southern Iran. Iranian officials claim this attack resulted in over 175 deaths, including 150 students.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters on Wednesday that officials were investigating the incident and emphasized that the U.S. would “never target civilian targets.” When asked about the school strike that same day, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters, “Not that we know of.”

Leavitt later told Reuters, “While the Department of War is currently investigating this matter, the Iranian regime targets civilians and children, not the United States of America.”

The White House’s use of entertainment media to celebrate military operations has raised questions about the administration’s communication strategy during an active military conflict. The videos represent an unusual approach to war messaging, blurring the line between real-world military operations and fictional entertainment.

Film and entertainment industry figures beyond Stiller have yet to comment publicly on whether they approve of their work being repurposed for these military propaganda videos. The White House has not indicated whether it sought or received permission from any of the copyright holders whose content was featured in the montages.

The Independent has contacted the White House for additional comment regarding both the unauthorized use of copyrighted material and the ongoing military operations.