After the official White House X account previously sparked controversy by using a post styled after the game "Pokémon Pokopia" to promote the political slogan "MAGA", many netizens have also noticed that the Trump administration's White House frequently uses anime and game IPs for social media promotion, leading to a constant stream of questions and criticism.
Just recently, after the official "Yu-Gi-Oh!" anime even issued a statement clarifying it had not authorized the White House to use its animation for videos, the official White House X account posted again, this time with the slogan "MAKE AMERICAN FARMING GREAT AGAIN." The style was strikingly similar to Nintendo's "Animal Crossing" game, and it immediately blew up online.
The video posted featured a 3D character strikingly similar to Trump, sitting in a chair resembling the Oval Office, shouting "Make Farming Great Again," alongside scenes of him interacting with animals on a farm.
What's even wilder is that about a minute later, a series of images followed, directly placing classic "Animal Crossing" characters alongside the "Trump-esque character." It looked almost as if they just modified the game's packaging art and slapped it on.
But here's the kicker: were these assets actually authorized by Nintendo? Netizens immediately went off, asking: "What exactly is the White House's connection to Nintendo?" and "Please stop using games for politics!"
Both the official "Yu-Gi-Oh!" team and The Pokémon Company International have previously stated they did not grant authorization. However, the White House has, so far, offered no explanation, no apology, and has not removed the posts. The content is still visible online.
Many feel that an official account repeatedly misusing foreign IPs like this is clearly crossing the line. With "Animal Crossing" now in the mix, it's pretty safe to say the backlash is far from over.