Extracts from video games, sports events, music: since the beginning of the American-Israeli attack on Iran on February 28, on the TikTok, Instagram, and X accounts of the White House, President Donald Trump’s administration has been creating video montages portraying the war as what The New York Times calls “macho entertainment.”
These clips, described as “fast-paced, low-budget or self-produced,” are a communication tool to promote the American operation called “Epic Fury,” which divides the United States sharply, notes The Guardian, citing “a recent survey by NPR/PBS/Marist, [according to which] only 36% of the population approves of Trump’s handling of the war.”
Superman and “Call of Duty”
The chosen strategy on social media targets “a very connected, very masculine, and often young segment of the ‘new right’ Maga that does not approve of foreign intervention,” according to the New York Times. The presence of male characters known for “kicking asses,” such as Walter White (from Breaking Bad), Kylo Ren (Star Wars), or Superman, confirms that the “videos from the White House on Iran do not embrace any ideals other than domination and power.”
Similarly, the use of video game clips like Call of Duty aims to “dehumanize war and its consequences,” as analyzed by the British newspaper The Independent. Furthermore, the online media Politico notes that “two actors [Ben Stiller and Steve Downes] appearing in the videos have stated that these images were used without their permission and have requested their removal.” And adds that even within American military circles, this communication strategy is far from unanimous: “Former officials grimace at these videos.”
