The Pokémon Company Issues Another Objection After the Trump Administration Used Its IP for Political Meme — Again

The Pokémon Company has issued an authoritative objection aft the White House utilized Pokopia for a meme, pushing backmost against the Trump administration’s repeated usage of its intelligence spot connected societal media.

On March 5, the authoritative White House X / Twitter relationship shared a “Make America Great Again” meme that looks similar the precocious released spinoff, Pokémon Pokopia. While unconfirmed, it appears that the meme is an AI-generated graphic successful the benignant of Pokopia, which released connected the Nintendo Switch 2 this week. The text, “Make America Great Again,” is akin to the Pokopia font. Familiar Pokémon tin beryllium seen successful the background. At the clip of this article's publication, the White House's tweet had been viewed 18.6 cardinal times.

MAGA 🇺🇸⚡️ pic.twitter.com/8QRVP23zGu

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 5, 2026

The Pokémon Company issued a connection successful which it stressed that it did not assistance the White House support to usage its IP for societal content.

“We are alert of caller societal contented that includes imagery associated with our brand,” a institution spokesperson told The New York Times. “We were not progressive successful its instauration oregon distribution, and nary support was granted for the usage of our intelligence property. Our ngo is to bring the satellite together, and that ngo is not affiliated with immoderate governmental viewpoint oregon agenda.”

In September past year, The Pokémon Company formally responded to the usage of Pokémon TV leader Ash Ketchum and the series' taxable tune by the Department of Homeland Security, arsenic portion of a video showing radical being arrested and handcuffed by instrumentality enforcement agents.

"We are alert of a caller video posted by the Department of Homeland Security that includes imagery and connection associated with our brand," The Pokémon Company International said successful a connection shared with IGN astatine the time. "Our institution was not progressive successful the instauration oregon organisation of this content, and support was not granted for the usage of our intelligence property."

Many fans person suggested The Pokémon Company should support its intelligence spot by launching ineligible action. However, the corporation's erstwhile ineligible main told IGN past twelvemonth that helium "wouldn't interaction this."

Don McGowan, Pokémon's seasoned ex-legal chief, told IGN successful September that helium believed immoderate specified enactment was highly unlikely. "I don't spot them doing thing astir this for a fewer reasons," McGowan, present main astatine Extreme Grownup Services, said. "First, deliberation of however small you spot [The Pokémon Company International]'s sanction successful the press. They are INSANELY publicity-shy and similar to fto the marque beryllium the brand.

"Second, galore of their execs successful the USA are connected greenish cards. Even if I was inactive astatine the institution I wouldn't interaction this, and I'm the astir trigger-happy CLO [Chief Legal Officer] I've ever met. This volition stroke implicit successful a mates of days and they'll beryllium blessed to fto it."

All Confirmed Pokemon successful Pokemon Pokopia

As pointed retired by The New York Times, Trump medication spokesperson Abigail Jackson has antecedently commented connected their societal media strategy, which shows nary motion of backing disconnected the usage of amusement company's IP.

“Through engaging posts and banger memes, we are successfully communicating the president’s highly fashionable agenda,” Jackson said. “There’s a crushed truthful galore radical effort to transcript our benignant — our connection resonates.”

Indeed, The Pokémon Company isn’t the lone gaming steadfast that has seen its IP utilized by the Trump medication successful governmental memes. In October, Microsoft remained soundless aft Donald Trump released an AI representation of the U.S. president arsenic Master Chief and the Department of Homeland Security utilized Halo to beforehand ICE connected societal media.

Finishing this fight. pic.twitter.com/6Ezq9NUqMq

— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) October 27, 2025

The Trump medication has signifier erstwhile it comes to utilizing AI images to beforehand the President. In May past year, Trump sparked a backlash from immoderate Catholics aft posting an AI-generated representation of himself arsenic the Pope. The picture, which was shared by authoritative White House societal media accounts, was released arsenic Catholics mourned the decease of Pope Francis and prepared to take the adjacent pontiff.

The White House has besides released AI images of Trump arsenic Superman and arsenic a Star Wars Jedi. And erstwhile the Department of Homeland Security utilized South Park to beforehand ICE, South Park trolled Trump successful response, saying: “wait, truthful we ARE relevant?”

And earlier this week, the White House posted a video connected societal media that mixed footage from its bombing operations successful Iran with Call of Duty gameplay. IGN has asked Activision for comment, but it has yet to respond.

Phot by Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images.

Wesley is Director, News astatine IGN. Find him connected Twitter astatine @wyp100. You tin scope Wesley astatine [email protected] oregon confidentially astatine [email protected].