Speaking in a Japanese parliamentary session today, Japan’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Toshimitsu Motegi, called out the White House for using Nintendo Wii Sports footage without permission in a pro-war X post last month.
In March, the official White House X account posted a clip containing Wii Sports footage interspersed with what appears to be military footage from the U.S.’s Operation Epic Fury airstrikes on Iran.
UNDEFEATED. pic.twitter.com/Jt69bcag5y
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 12, 2026
As reported by Japan’s Kyodo News agency, Motegi referenced the White House’s post in the lower house session on April 17. He commented in Japanese that, “Generally speaking, it’s inappropriate even for public institutions to reproduce copyrighted materials without the rightsholders’ consent.”
This is not an isolated incident. The U.S. government has been posting many images and clips on social media that contain copyrighted IPs, including Nintendo’s. More recently, on April 1, the White House X account posted a mash-up of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and NASA footage to celebrate the Artemis II mission.
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) April 1, 2026
Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s social media accounts posted Ice raid footage juxtaposed with the Pokémon anime and its theme tune. Then, in March, the White House X account jumped on the Pokémon Pokopia cover art trend, creating their own version of the meme with the game’s title replaced by ‘Make America Great Again.’ The Pokémon Company spoke out against both incidents, stating that they were made without the company’s permission or involvement. “Our mission is to bring the world together, and that mission is not affiliated with any political viewpoint or agenda,” said The Pokémon Company at the time.
Many others have made statements against The White House claiming that copyrighted materials or likenesses have been used without consent. This includes Yu-Gi-Oh’s official account and Master Chief voice actor Steve Downes.
As pointed out by The New York Times, Trump administration spokesperson Abigail Jackson has previously commented to double down on their social media strategy. “Through engaging posts and banger memes, we are successfully communicating the president’s extremely popular agenda,” Jackson said. “There’s a reason so many people try to copy our style — our message resonates.”
Although Nintendo has yet to issue an official statement regarding the White House’s use of its IPs, it is currently suing the U.S. government on a different matter, seeking a refund for Trump’s tariffs, which impacted the company’s Switch 2 launch plans.
Japan’s minister for foreign affairs minister is currently working to de-escalate the U.S.-Iran conflict and restore stability in the Strait of Hormuz, as reported by The Japan Times and others.
Photo by Kazuhiro NOGI / AFP via Getty Images.
Verity Townsend is a Japan-based freelance writer who previously served as editor, contributor and translator for the game news site Automaton West. She has also written about Japanese culture and movies for various publications.
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