Naruto Trump Sparks Backlash: Japan Warns US Against Using Country's Popular Anime and Gaming Characters in Official Memes

THE OFFICIAL SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS of the US government’s recent integration of narrative promotion using popular meme templates, including anime, have been criticized by several netizens and others. Japanese officials have repeatedly expressed their disapproval of the use of characters such as Mario, Naruto, and Pokémon as templates in posts shared on the official social media accounts of the Trump administration. 

Amid the backlash, Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a warning to the Trump administration regarding its use of Japanese anime and gaming characters. The criticism has caught the attention of many netizens over time, following several posts that allegedly appeared to promote the Iran war or Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids. 

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As per a report by GameRant, the administration has allegedly used imagery from the Japanese entertainment industry to “promote its policies and military action.” The social media posts that drew attention were particularly those made on the X platform, eventually leading to a formal warning from Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

As quoted by IGN, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi raised the concern during a parliamentary session in April 2026, stating, “It’s inappropriate even for public institutions to reproduce copyrighted materials without the rightsholders’ consent.” Motegi’s statement was in reference to a pro-Iran war video featuring Nintendo’s Wii Sports.

“Gotta Catch ’Em All”: US Govt's Deportation Video Using Pokémon Theme Sparked Outrage

In 2025, the Department of Homeland Security posted an ICE deportation video using visuals from the Pokémon series, along with its popular slogan, “Gotta Catch ’Em All.” The video drew widespread criticism, with The Pokémon Company International telling the BBC, “We are aware of a recent video posted by the Department of Homeland Security that includes imagery and language associated with our brand.”

The company further stated that it had not provided permission to use, create, or distribute such content, and that no permission had been granted to use its intellectual property. The video also included the opening credits of the Pokémon anime TV show.

Trump Administration Continues Using Anime and Copyrighted Songs

Cut to the present, the most recent post to face immense backlash is an AI-generated video of President Donald Trump depicted as the popular anime character Naruto. The video was posted on Truth Social in June 2026 and featured a morphed image of Trump superimposed onto the popular character. The backdrop of the video was the fictional Hidden Leaf Village from the anime series. 

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Japan’s Minister in Charge of Economic Security, Kimi Onoda, also commented on the Naruto video featuring President Trump in June, stating, “Obtaining permission from the copyright holder is the underlying principle for fair use.”

Not just anime, several A-listers from the music industry, including singers Katy Perry and Sabrina Carpenter, have also called out the administration for using their songs in its social media posts. Katy Perry criticized the government for using her song “Firework” and wrote, “To see a message of self-worth and upliftment weaponized to soundtrack destruction and violence is a complete violation of everything my song stands for.”

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(Edited by Harsh Pandey)

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