“War is not a movie”: Ben Stiller and more actors condemn latest pro-war White House video

Multiple actors, including Ben Stiller and the man who voices Master Chief in Halo, denounced the latest White House war propaganda video. The @WhiteHouse account on X seems to be leaning into celebrity complaints about the Trump administration using their work without consent for pro-war ads, adding insult to over 1,500 deaths so far.

The administration's incessant memeing doesn't look like it will stop any time soon unless real consequences happen.

Ben Stiller, Steve Downes speak out

Following complaints by Kesha and The Pokémon Company about the White House using their intellectual property without permission, the social media team put together a new video ripping clips from at least 14 films and shows.

These are interspersed with footage from missile strikes, grossly glorifying war as hundreds of civilians die in the Middle East.

On Friday, actor Ben Stiller objected to the use of a clip from the 2008 action comedy film Tropic Thunder.

"Hey White House, please remove the Tropic Thunder clip," he wrote. "We never gave you permission and have no interest in being a part of your propaganda machine. War is not a movie."

The voice actor for Master Chief from the Halo franchise also had notes.

"Let me make this crystal clear: I did not participate in nor was I consulted, nor do I endorse the use of my voice in this video, or the message it conveys," said Steve Downes. "I demand that the producers of this disgusting and juvenile war porn remove my voice immediately."

At least two of the clips used in this latest war propaganda/troll video were from cartoons. Dan Green, who voices the title character in the popular kids series Yu-Gi-Oh!, referenced its creator to denounce the White House.

"It came to my attention that the White House used my voice to encourage violence in Iran," he wrote. "Doing so tacitly implicates Kazuki Takahashi’s most beloved contribution, which continues to inspire people to become who they are, and this was presented in a way far removed from the story he was telling."

"Takahashi died saving others."

"Little girls are dead"

It seems unlikely that the administration will stop no matter how many big names object. After using Kesha's "Blow" for a similar video, White House Director of Communications Steven Cheung said that celebrities reacting like this "just gives us more attention and more view counts."

With lagging poll numbers, the Trump administration may be digging its own grave by trolling everyone's faves. People are really getting sick of the glorification of war, death, and cruelty.

"Hundreds of people are dead," tweeted podcaster Jon Favreau. "Little girls are dead. Six Americans are dead. Others are risking their lives. Millions across the Middle East are terrified."

"It's not a video game. It's not a meme. It's not another chance to troll the libs. It's [expletive] war."

X user @MEGAARN_, spotting Tony Stark, pointed out that "the entire plot of the first Iron Man movie is him realizing his company was building weapons used for genocide and going rogue to stop it."

"Remember in social studies when you’d look at all the old fascist war propaganda, and you thought, wild that people were actually energized by this [expletive] when it was all so transparently cringe," asked @emrazz.

"This is a [expletive] disgrace," said former Republican Ron Filipkowski.

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