‘War is not a movie’ — Ben Stiller slams White House for using Tropic Thunder clip for ‘propaganda’
The 42-second White House clip, captioned “JUSTICE THE AMERICAN WAY”, includes footage of recent strikes on Iran edited between scenes from several movies.
Hollywood actor-director Ben Stiller slammed the White House for using a clip from Tropic Thunder, the movie he co-wrote and directed, as part of their pro-war social media video montage.
Taking to X, an upset Ben said Tropic Thunder makers never gave the White House permission to use their clip as a part of “propaganda machine”.
“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,” he wrote. “War is not a movie.”
In the comment section, Ben defended his take on the Iran war and said the war movies are made “usually to protest war”.
Earlier this month, Pop singer Kesha also slammed the Trump administration and the White House for using her song in an unauthorised manner on social media.
Her song Blow was used in a video posted last month. The clip showed a fighter jet shooting a missile at a naval ship with the caption “Lethality.”
What does the White House video show?
The 42-second White House clip captioned “JUSTICE THE AMERICAN WAY” includes footage of recent strikes on Iran edited between scenes from several movies, including Iron Man 2, Gladiator, and Braveheart. The video ends with footage of a US strike on an Iranian ship, followed by a clip of an anime character saying, “Now, end this!”
The White House logo then flashes on the screen, as a voice says “Flawless Victory” in reference to the video game series Mortal Kombat.
White House's video clips on Iran war
White House has faced widespread backlash for sharing videos of real missile strikes edited together with scenes from the video game and movies.
On Wednesday, their social media clip featured scenes from the franchise Call of Duty.
In another clip on Friday, White House used an infamous clip of a character from the Grand Theft Auto video game series saying, “Ah s***, here we go again.” After each strike, the word “wasted” flashed across the screen.
‘Legacy media wants us to apologise…’: White House spokesperson
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told The Independent that White House will continue to show the many examples of Iran’s ballistic missiles, and hailed America’s heroic warfighters for meeting or surpassing all goals under Operation Epic Fury.
“Under the decisive leadership of President Trump, America’s heroic warfighters are meeting or surpassing all of their goals under Operation Epic Fury,” she said.
“The legacy media wants us to apologise 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,” she added.
About the Author
Arshdeep Kaur is a Senior Content Producer at Mint, where she reports and edits across national and international politics, business and culture‑adjacent trending stories for digital audience. With five years in the newsroom, she strives to balance the speed and rigor of fast‑moving news cycles and longer, context‑rich explainers. <br><br> Before joining LiveMint, Arshdeep served as a Senior Sub‑Editor at Business Standard and earlier as a Sub‑Editor at Asian News International (ANI). Her experience spans live news flows, enterprise features, and multi‑platform packaging. <br><br> At Mint, she regularly writes explainers, quick takes, and visuals‑led stories that are optimized for search and social, while maintaining the publication’s standards for accuracy and clarity. She collaborates closely with editors and the audience team to frame angles that resonate with readers in India and abroad, and to translate complex developments into accessible, high‑impact journalism. <br><br> Arshdeep's academic training underpins her interest towards policy and markets. She earned an MA in Economics from Panjab University and holds a Post‑Graduate Diploma in Broadcast Journalism from the India Today Media Institute (ITMI). This blend of economics and broadcast storytelling informs her coverage of public policy, elections, macro themes, and the consumer‑internet zeitgeist. <br><br> Arshdeep is based in New Delhi, where she tracks breaking developments and longer‑horizon storylines that shape public discourse.