The White House has released an unusual propaganda-style montage celebrating the recent US-Israeli strikes on Iran, stitching together actual drone footage of the operation with scenes and dialogue from Hollywood movies, television shows, anime and video games, edited in a slick, trailer-like style that feels less like a government release and more like something assembled by an amateur YouTube editor, one of the types of content often used online to bypass copyright filters. Complete with color changes and audio distortions. Posted on March 6 on the official White House account on Twitter, the 42-second video was captioned: “Justice the American way” with American flag and fire emojis. The clip received over 12.4 million views in just a few hours, sparking both surprise and criticism online. The video comes less than a week after the February 28 US-Israeli air campaign against Iran, which Washington says was aimed at destroying the country’s missile and nuclear capabilities. The attacks killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, triggered retaliatory attacks across the Middle East and pushed the region closer to broader conflict. Against that backdrop, the White House montage adopts the language and aesthetics of blockbuster cinema.
A blend of war footage and pop-culture mythology
The montage begins with Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark from Iron Man 2 (2010). Announcement: “Get up, daddy’s house!” Jarvis then replied: “Welcome home sir.” From there, the clip rapidly cuts between fictional characters and actual bombing footage of the Iran attacks. The scenes and characters used in the montage are:
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Russell Crowe as maximus the Gladiator - in mel gibson Brave
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Tom Cruise In top Gun - tom cruise comes again Tropic Thunder
- as Bryan Cranston
Walter White In breaking bad - as Bob Odenkirk
saul goodman In better call Saul - keanu reeves inside john wick
- christopher reeve’s
superman Declaration of “Truth and Justice the American Way” - Adam Driver as Kylo Ren star wars
- from optimus prime transformer
- dead pool
- from master chief halo
- mortal Kombat
- Yu-Gi-Oh!
- Dragon Ball
These clips are interspersed with actual airstrike footage, explosions and drone imagery from the ongoing conflict. The video also features a series of famous lines from those characters. Quotes include: Maximus Inn the Gladiator “Power and Honor.” William Wallace Inn Brave “What would you do without freedom?” tom cruise inside top Gun “Maverick is coming!” at bob odenkirk better call Saul “You can’t imagine what I’m capable of!” from master chief halo “Ending this fight.” keanu reeves inside john wick “Yeah! I think I’m back!” Christopher Reeve’s Superman “I’m here to fight for truth and justice the American way.” Bryan Cranston as Walter White “I am the danger!” The montage then briefly switches to actual political footage. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is seen saying in this sequence: “FA” The final phase moves into gaming and anime references. Optimus Prime “It’s time to find out.” dead pool “Maximum Effort!” Yu-Gi-Oh! “Here it comes!” dragon ball voiceover “End it now!” mortal kombat announcer “Innocent Victory!”
Hollywood, the war message, and Trump’s familiar tactics
The use of entertainment imagery in official political messaging is not entirely new for the Trump administration, though critics say the tone of the latest video is unusually open. The post comes just weeks after the White House used Kesha’s song in a separate social media clip blow The footage of the missile attack was labeled “lethality” under it, prompting the singer to protest online. Kesha wrote in response, “Stop using my music you pervert.” Artists and entertainment companies have often objected to the use of their work in political messages. While studios and rights holders rarely intervene immediately, musicians and actors have repeatedly asked Trump’s campaign and administration not to use their songs, films or characters to promote policies or military actions. The White House has leaned heavily into superhero imagery before. when a new superman Following the film’s recent release, the administration posted a meme showing Trump’s face edited onto Superman’s body with the caption: “Symbol of Hope. Truth. Justice. The American Way. Superman Trump.”
Social media reactions: confusion, irony, and criticism
The montage quickly spread across social media, where reactions ranged from disbelief to sharp cultural criticism. One user wrote: “Imagine having to explain this country to the Founding Fathers.” Another warned about potential copyright implications: “Wow! I didn’t know you got the rights to use Braveheart and Gladiator material to promote war.” It would be a shame if you did not do so and you, as a government and as a digital media team individually, would be prosecuted.” One widely shared comment highlighted what the author saw as the irony behind many of the film’s choices: “Haha interesting movie choiceBraveheart: The entire film is about resisting imperial occupation by a more powerful nation. Using it to celebrate American military power is completely counterproductive – we are the empire.Saul Goodman: A corrupt, morally bankrupt lawyer who helps a meth dealer and protects witnesses. His entire arc is about the rot inside the American dream.Keanu Reeves: Canadian. Born in Beirut. Raised partly in Australia. It’s strange to use him as the embodiment of American strength.Christopher Reeve: died of paralysis after a horse-riding accident. His legacy is disability advocacy and stem cell research… which is largely opposed. Walter White: Poisons children, murders people, destroys his family, and dies alone in a meth lab. Cranston himself is openly liberal. Another user added a similar comment about the opening clip: “Tony Stark turning his back on the US arms industry after being captured in the conflict, not trusting the US government is also a top choice for the opening seconds of this video.” Others simply reacted to the unrealistic tone of the post. “Oh my god, what timeline is this.” Another wrote: “I need to know the millennial running this account.” And one commentator offered a more explicitly political response: “Very creative but I can’t help but feel like I voted for peace.”
War created through blockbuster language
The video comes as President Donald Trump has suggested the conflict with Iran could last four to five weeks, with the administration promising to do “whatever it takes” to destroy Iran’s nuclear capabilities and prevent the regime from directing armed groups beyond its borders. Administration supporters see the montage as a dramatic piece of wartime messaging.However, many argue that the montage trivializes the actual attacks, turning the deadly conflict into a flashy spectacle that ignores human suffering.