Ben Stiller Says ‘War Is Not A Movie’ After White House Uses ‘Tropic Thunder’ Footage For ‘Propaganda Machine’

On Mar 7, 2026

Ben Stiller blasted the White House on Friday after it used a clip from his 2008 comedy, ”Tropic Thunder,” for a social media post that seemed intended to get Americans pumped up for a war with Iran.

The White House posted a 42-second testosterone-drenched clip on Thursday captioned “JUSTICE THE AMERICAN WAY,” that featured clips from Stiller’s comedy, as well as “Braveheart,” “Gladiator,” “Breaking Bad,” and “The Matrix.”

The clip received a lot of mockery, as well as an angry request from Stiller, who directed and co-wrote “Tropic Thunder.” On Friday, he called out the White House for using scenes from the film without permission.

“Hey White House,” Stiller posted. “Please remove the Tropic Thunder clip. We never gave you permission and have no interest in being a part of your propaganda machine. War is not a movie.”

https://t.co/dMQqRxxVCa

— Ben Stiller (@BenStiller) March 6, 2026

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Hey White House, please remove the Tropic Thunder clip. We never gave you permission and have no interest in being a part of your propaganda machine. War is not a movie. https://t.co/dMQqRxxVCa

— Ben Stiller (@BenStiller) March 6, 2026

HuffPost reached out to the White House, but no one immediately responded.

However, the post Stiller criticized appears to be part of a series of social media posts that use pop culture references to get Americans excited about war.

On Wednesday, the Trump administration posted a video combining clips from the “Grand Theft Auto” video game franchise with what appeared to be real footage of strikes on Iranian targets.

The Trump administration has a long history of using film clips or songs ― typically without permission ― to promote the president and/or his initiatives.

Earlier this week, Radiohead told the Trump White to “go fuck yourselves,” after Immigration and Customs Enforcement used their song, “Let Down,” to speak out against what it called “criminal illegal alien violence.”

In December, Sabrina Carpenter attacked the White House after it used her song, “Juno,” for a post of clips showing ICE agents arresting people.

“This video is evil and disgusting,” she wrote on X. “Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda.”

Back in October, Kenny Loggins lambasted the Trump administration for using his song, “Danger Zone,” for an AI video showing the president dumping feces on Americans protesting his policies.