On Saturday, US President Donald Trump posted a video on Truth Social depicting himself in several avatars, including Naruto Uzumaki, the spiky-haired protagonist of the popular anime and manga franchise Naruto. The video shows Trump wearing an orange-and-black costume and performing “ninjutsu” techniques associated with the character. It sparked controversy online, prompting debate over the use of Japanese popular culture in political content.
Petition Reopened After Trump Includes Naruto Imagery in Latest Video
A petition protesting the use of Japanese anime and manga imagery by Trump and the White House without permission was reopened on Tuesday, and has already garnered more than 19,000 signatures. “Voices are being raised not only within Japan but also from fan communities overseas, arguing that the context of the works and the intentions of the creators should be respected,” the petition’s organizer wrote.
In March, the official White House social media accounts posted a pro-war montage titled “Justice: The American Way,” featuring imagery related to Iran airstrikes. The video included clips from Yu-Gi-Oh! (using lines from Yugi’s English voice actor, Dan Green) and Dragon Ball Super, featuring the character Beerus saying, “Here it comes.” The official Yu-Gi-Oh! X account stated that it had been “made without any authorization from the rights holder.”
Companies Distance Themselves From US Government Posts
That same month, another White House social media post mimicked the visual style of the game Pokémon Pokopia along with the words “Make America Great Again.” After some commenters said they would no longer purchase merchandise from the franchise, The Pokémon Company International issued a statement distancing itself from the post. In 2025, Nintendo made a similar statement after the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) posted a Pokémon-related video.
The footage showed several arrests made by Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents along with the Pokémon slogan, “Gotta catch ’em all.” Fake Pokémon cards are shown at the end of the video, featuring images of people arrested by ICE. Graphic designer and illustrator Hiroshi Nagai also condemned DHS after the official government account posted a graphic using his work to promote deportations of immigrants.
