WASHINGTON – The Trump administration has launched an unprecedented social media blitz featuring video game footage, cartoon characters, and Hollywood movie clips to promote its ongoing military operations against Iran to the American public.
A White House-produced video opening with scenes from the popular “Call of Duty” video game has garnered more than 58 million views across social platforms. The production seamlessly blends real combat footage of fighter jets, missile launches, and explosive strikes with Childish Gambino’s “Bonfire” soundtrack and a narrator proclaiming “We’re winning this fight.”
The video incorporates gaming elements like “Call of Duty” kill scores that appear following each explosion, creating what critics describe as a troubling merger of entertainment and warfare.
These digital campaigns mark a dramatic shift from traditional military communications. Where previous administrations relied on formal briefings and statistical presentations during conflicts, the current approach emphasizes flashy visuals reminiscent of action movies, complete with stealth aircraft cutting through clouds and cinematic explosions.
The content strategy focuses less on explaining the reasoning behind military action and more on showcasing American firepower with what officials call “an on-brand air of bravado.”
Distributed across X, TikTok, and Instagram, these productions incorporate references from popular culture, energetic soundtracks, and clips from blockbuster films, generating millions of views and widespread sharing among Trump supporters.
“Before it took time and lots of knowledge,” explained Craig Silverman, a researcher and cofounder of Indicator, a publication focused on digital deception. “And now some social media manager at the White House could play around with one of these tools for a half hour and come up with something that looks pretty good.”
Additional videos in the series feature Superman imagery alongside footage from “Braveheart,” “Top Gun,” “Iron Man,” and “Gladiator,” interwoven with scenes of military equipment being destroyed. Critics have condemned this approach as an inappropriate “gamification” of a conflict that has resulted in deaths among both American service members and Iranian civilians.
The administration has faced challenges articulating a coherent justification for the military campaign that commenced with U.S.-Israeli bombing operations on February 28. President Trump and cabinet officials have offered varying and sometimes conflicting explanations for the action.
Former Republican officials and communications specialists view these videos as an inappropriate display of military swagger rather than substantive policy communication.
“If you want to communicate, one of the main things they should be doing is communicating to the Iranian people why you are bombing their country, not how we are blowing stuff up,” stated James Glassman, who served as under secretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs during the George W. Bush administration.
“This seems to be an effort to sell the war after it started by making it cool, to make it look like a video game.”
White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly defended the approach, telling Reuters that U.S. military forces were achieving or exceeding their objectives in the Iranian conflict.
“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,” Kelly stated.
Among the most viral content is a video featuring an animated green lizard repeatedly touching a glowing screen, with each tap followed by missile launch footage and a voice repeating “lizard.” The lizard animation comes from Disney Pixar’s 2025 film “Elio” end credits and became a popular internet meme representing repetitive tasks.
Another production titled “OPERATION EPIC FURY” – the administration’s designation for the Iran campaign – features military imagery set to DJ Shlepki’s “Macarena turned.” The 38-second TikTok video shows B-1 and B-2 bombers along with what appears to be an F-35C fighter jet, though Reuters verified that some aircraft footage consists of older stock material unrelated to current operations. This video has accumulated over 18 million views.
The contrast between these productions and official military communications is stark. Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Caine recently spoke with “profound sadness and gratitude” while announcing the names of four of six American service members killed in the conflict, telling families “we grieve with you today.”
Meanwhile, a 14-second White House video intersperses military explosions with animated SpongeBob SquarePants repeatedly asking “Wanna see me do it again?” This production has reached over 9 million views on X and TikTok.
Kristopher Purcell, who worked in White House communications during the lead-up to Bush’s 2003 Iraq invasion, believes these videos target young male demographics that strongly supported Trump in the 2024 election.
He noted that the Bush administration spent months building public support before the Iraq invasion, while the current approach involves post-conflict justification through what he termed the “gamification” of warfare.
“It’s an insane way to do things,” Purcell said.
Despite the unconventional approach, experts acknowledge the Trump administration’s proven effectiveness in social media communication, particularly for reaching core supporters, even when methods deviate significantly from presidential traditions.
Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government professor Matthew Baum suggests the strategy may face limitations given Trump’s campaign promises of American isolationism.
“The problem here is that his base is not exactly entirely on board with the war in Iran. So it’s a difficult audience when it is usually the case that the MAGA base is ready to follow wherever he leads,” Baum observed.
