The White House has been on a pathetic streak of posting the cringiest of propaganda attempts of “How do you do, fellow kids,” with its Call of Duty Iran bombing montage as a prime example. With Pokopia now released, Trump’s PR team desperately wanted in on the possible attention from Pokémon fans by creating a “Make America Great Again” logo from the game’s poster art. To no one’s surprise, this was done without Nintendo’s permission, and The Pokémon Company’s Corporate Communications lead, Sravanthi Dev, made sure this cringe wouldn’t fly unnoticed.
According to Kotaku, Sravanthi Dev said that The Pokémon Company is very much aware of the controversy caused by the White House’s viral post on X for Pokopia. She firmly states, “We were not involved in its creation or distribution, and no permission was granted for the use of our intellectual property. Our mission is to bring the world together, and that mission is not affiliated with any political viewpoint or agenda.” The subtle jab here is how the franchise is supposed to “bring the world together,” something neither ICE nor the Department of War is doing at the moment.
Many people shared their own version of the Pokopia poster art in response to the White House’s post, calling out Trump for his alleged fetish for minors or his direct connection to Epstein. Plenty more took the opportunity to criticize ICE and the killing of innocent Iranian children. Memes and cringe content aside, many still find it unbelievable that the official White House account is posting such unprofessional content and using it as propaganda.
Several online commenters on Reddit took this as a chance to point out how Taylor Swift, whose music was used as MAGA propaganda by the White House as well, has yet to make any statement on the matter. “Her stance is the same as Mr Beast’s: They want to take everyone’s money and saying nothing preserves that,” remarked a user. Others agreed with Dev’s message, with one saying, “Pokemon is literally about friendship, broadening horizons, learning new cultures.”
The White House will presumably get bolder with its MAGA propaganda and Trump promotions as the midterms near. There’s no telling what internet culture, meme, or video game franchise it’ll use next to continue its cringe fest.
