Pokémon Company calls out White House over game-themed ‘MAGA’ post

(NEXSTAR) – Once again, the folks behind the massively popular Pokémon franchise have been forced to distance themselves from the Trump administration’s use of its imagery on social media.

The White House, in a post shared to Instagram and X on Thursday morning, shared an image seemingly taken from the cover of the new “Pokémon Pokopia” video game, albeit with the words “Make America Great Again” written across the picture in a playful font.

The posts’ captions included the acronym “MAGA” as well as a lightning-bolt emoji — the latter perhaps referencing the Pokémon character Pikachu.

The White House did not appear to link its Pokémon-themed imagery to any specific event or policy, although the posts coincided with the release of “Pokémon Pokopia” on March 5.

In a statement obtained by The Hill, a spokesperson for The Pokémon Company International distanced itself from the White House’s posts.

“We are aware of recent social content that includes imagery associated with our brand,” reads the statement. “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.”

The Pokémon Company had also issued a similar statement in Sept. 2025, after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security used the “Pokémon” theme song to score a video of ICE agents carrying out detainments. The video also had a caption reading, “Gotta Catch ‘Em All,” a popular catchphrase from the Pokémon franchise.

At the end of the video, the faces of some of the detainees are pictured on game cards that resemble those used by Pokémon fans.

“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,” the company said at the time.

The Sept. 2025 video, meanwhile, is still active on the social media account for the Department of Homeland Security.

The Pokémon Company is far from the only person or entity to distance themselves from the Trump administration and its use of their content or intellectual property. In Sept. 2025, comedian and podcaster Theo Von asked the DHS to remove a clip of him from one of the agency’s “deportation videos,” claiming he didn’t share DHS’ stance on immigration. Kesha, earlier this month, also clarified that she never gave permission for the White House to use her song “Blow” in a social media post, saying she was disgusted with its inclusion.

Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood, along with “One Battle After Another” director Paul Thomas Anderson, also recently objected to the music from their film “The Phantom Thread” being used in the “Melania” documentary, but a producer for “Melania” has since claimed that the music was obtained legally.

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