The White House has posted a dramatic video montage on social media that blends scenes from Hollywood blockbusters and video games with footage of real US military strikes on Iranian targets, a move that has quickly sparked criticism online.
The 42-second clip, shared on the White House’s official X account with the caption “Justice the American way,” opens with a scene from Iron Man accompanied by the line, “Wake up, Daddy’s home.”
The phrase appeared to echo a remark previously attributed to NATO chief Mark Rutte, who once referred to US President Donald Trump as “daddy.”
The video then cuts rapidly between famous movie heroes and footage released by the US military showing strikes on targets linked to Iran.
Among the Hollywood scenes featured are Tom Cruise in Top Gun: Maverick, Mel Gibson in Braveheart, Russell Crowe in Gladiator, Bryan Cranston in Breaking Bad and Keanu Reeves in John Wick — all interspersed with real images of missile strikes and military operations.
The montage also includes a brief appearance by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth taken from a real Pentagon briefing.
In the clip, Hegseth says “F-A” before the video cuts to a scene from a Transformers film declaring “time to find out.”
The reference echoes a slogan popular among supporters of the Trump administration — “F-A-F-O,” shorthand for “f**k around and find out,” used to signal an uncompromising approach toward adversaries.
In another post, the White House used footage from the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, where a character is heard saying “Ah shit, here we go again,” before switching to video of strikes on Iranian targets.
The use of entertainment clips alongside real war footage drew sharp criticism from some in Hollywood.
Actor and filmmaker Ben Stiller called on the White House to remove a clip from “Tropic Thunder,” the 2008 satirical film he directed.
“We never gave you permission and have no interest in being a part of your propaganda machine. War is not a movie,” Stiller wrote on X.
The posts come amid escalating tensions involving the United States, Israel and Iran, with Washington releasing footage of recent military strikes as the conflict continues to unfold.
