Pokémon disavows use of imagery by White House, says they have no political affiliation
The Pokémon Company once again criticised the White House for the use of its imagery in a political social media post on 5 March.
In response, the White House accused the company of political bias.
White House uses new Pokémon game in MAGA message
On 5 March, the White House’s X account posted an image of the new Pokémon video game, Pokémon Pokopia.
The image showed edited text reading “Make America Great Again”, overlayed on a screenshot of the game featuring various Pokémon.
Source: @WhiteHouse on X
Additionally, the caption read “MAGA” with an American flag and a lightning bolt emoji.
The Pokémon Company International, a Western subsidiary of the main company, released a statement to various news sites in response to the post.
“We were not involved in its creation or distribution, and no permission was granted for the use of our intellectual property,” a spokesperson stated.
Source: The Pokémon Company International
“Our mission is to bring the world together, and that mission is not affiliated with any political viewpoint or agenda.”
White House previously used Pokémon anime for ICE video
The BBC reported that the White House directed them to a post on X by White House spokesperson Kaelan Dorr for their response.
“Seems kinda like you ARE maybe affiliated with a political viewpoint, no?” Mr Dorr wrote in his post, implying political bias on Pokémon’s part.
Source: @Kaelan47 on X
He questioned The Pokémon Company’s lack of response to Hillary Clinton, who had referenced Pokémon Go years ago while encouraging people to vote.
This incident was not the first time the current United States (US) government has used the Japanese franchise for political purposes.
On 23 Sept 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) uploaded a video to X showing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arresting people to the theme and clips from the opening credits of the Pokémon anime.
Source: @DHSgov on X
The Pokémon Company put out a similar statement denying their involvement or permission in the usage of their intellectual property.
Nintendo sues US government over business effects of tariffs
In a separate event, Nintendo of America filed a lawsuit against the US government on 6 March.
They sought a refund of duties paid under Trump’s tariffs, which had been struck down by the US Supreme Court.
The tariffs allegedly affected Nintendo’s business by forcing the delay of preorder sales of its Nintendo Switch 2 game console.
Nintendo owns 32% of The Pokémon Company.
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Featured image adapted from @WhiteHouse on X and The Pokémon Company International.
