Why Pokemon Is Pushing Back Against the White House

Pokémon is at odds with the White House for the second time in months. On Thursday, the White House posted an image with the words “make america great again” designed to imitate Pokémon’s game Pokémon Pokopia, which was released this week. Fans have made posts using the game’s font to write comical phrases. In the background of the image, which appears to have been taken directly from the game, iconic characters like Pikachu and Magikarp can be seen. MAGA ????????⚡️ pic.twitter.com/8QRVP23zGu— The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 5, 2026 The post prompted a response from Pokémon Company International, which is celebrating the 30th anniversary of Pokémon. “We are aware of recent social content that includes imagery associated with our brand,” Sravanthi Dev, a company spokeswoman, said in a statement to media outlets. “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.” TIME has reached out to Pokémon Company International and the White House for comment. It’s the second time that Pokémon has had to put out a statement distancing itself from the Trump Administration’s use of its intellectual property. Last September, the Department of Homeland Security posted a video seeking to recruit Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents that used Pokémon’s slogan “Gotta catch ‘em all” and scenes from Pokémon’s anime series alongside clips of Border Patrol and ICE agents arresting people. Border Patrol’s newest recruit. pic.twitter.com/KjGhBdsq7X— CBP (@CBP) September 23, 2025 In another post the same day, Customs and Border Protection said “Border Patrol’s newest recruit” alongside a GIF of Detective Pikachu. “We are aware of a recent video posted by the Department of Homeland Security that includes imagery and language associated with our brand,” Pokémon Company International said in a statement at the time. “Our company was not involved in the creation or distribution of this content, and permission was not granted for the use of our intellectual property.” Frustration has mounted towards DHS and other government agencies over the Trump Administration’s aggressive immigration crackdown. Kristi Noem, who has been scrutinized for her oversight of the department’s handling of immigration enforcement, was removed as Homeland Security Secretary on Thursday. The Trump Administration has also used the intellectual property of other video games including Minecraft, Halo, Stardew Valley, and most recently Call of Duty to boost their policies, particularly related to immigration and foreign policy. None of the companies that own those video games have publicly commented on the White House’s posts.  Trump has sought favor among the gamer community for years in his efforts to court young male voters. But, as with many artists whose music has been appropriated by the Administration, the White House has faced pushback, including from video game fans as well as some developers, over its use of gaming memes and references to promote its policies. Some have called for Pokémon to sue the Trump Administration over its use of its intellectual property, although there has so far been no indication of a legal challenge. “Nowhere in the Constitution does it say we can’t post banger memes,” the White House’s X account posted in July in response to broad criticisms of its social media strategy.