Pokémon criticises White House over 'Pokopia' social media post to promote MAGA

Pokémon says the White House used Pokopia-style imagery in a social media post without permission

Pokémon has criticised the White House after an official social media account shared an image resembling artwork from Nintendo’s newly released game Pokopia.

The graphic, posted on Thursday, appeared to replicate the visual style of the life-simulation game launched by Nintendo the same day. The image included the text “make america great again” written in a colourful font similar to the one associated with Pokopia. The post was widely circulated online and appeared to be an AI-generated graphic designed to resemble the game’s cover art.

MAGA 🇺🇸⚡️ pic.twitter.com/8QRVP23zGu

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 5, 2026

In a statement, a spokesperson for Pokémon said the brand had not authorised the use of its imagery. “We were not involved in its creation or distribution, and no permission was granted for the use of our intellectual property,” the spokesperson said. “Our mission is to bring the world together, and that mission is not affiliated with any political viewpoint or agenda.”

The organisation did not indicate whether legal action would be pursued.

During President Donald Trump’s second term, the administration has increasingly used internet memes and trending formats across official social media accounts. However, several posts have attracted criticism for incorporating branded intellectual property without permission.

In September, Pokémon issued a similar response after the Department of Homeland Security posted a video showing Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests mixed with clips from Pokémon and set to the anime theme song “Gotta Catch ‘Em All!”.

Other recent posts from the White House have also drawn online criticism. In March, an AI-generated image created in the style of the Japanese animation studio Studio Ghibli showed a woman crying in handcuffs while being deported by immigration authorities.

Earlier this week, another video shared by official accounts combined footage of missile strikes in Iran with clips from the video game franchise Call of Duty. Microsoft, which owns the game’s publisher Activision, declined to comment on the post.

Several musicians and public figures including Olivia Rodrigo, Sabrina Carpenter, and Zara Larsson have also objected to the use of their work in government messaging.