Ben Stiller has demanded that the Trump administration take down footage from his 2008 satirical comedy Tropic Thunder, which appeared in an official White House social media post.
The actor and filmmaker issued his response on X on Friday, directly addressing the administration's use of his work.
"Hey White House, please remove the Tropic Thunder clip. We never gave you permission and have no interest in being a part of your propaganda machine," Mr Stiller wrote. "War is not a movie."
The 60-year-old, who directed and co-wrote the film, made clear he had not authorised the inclusion of any material from the production in government communications.
Ben Stiller has hit out at the White House
| GETTYThe video in question was published on the White House's official X account on Thursday, bearing the caption "JUSTICE THE AMERICAN WAY" accompanied by an American flag and fire emojis.
The 42-second montage spliced together scenes from numerous Hollywood blockbusters and television programmes, including Braveheart, Top Gun: Maverick, Iron Man 2, Gladiator, Transformers, Superman, John Wick, Better Call Saul, and Breaking Bad.
These entertainment clips were interspersed with actual footage of US military strikes on Iranian targets.
The compilation concluded with the iconic "Flawless victory" voiceover from Mortal Kombat, followed by a title card reading: "The White House: President Donald J. Trump."
Hey White House, please remove the Tropic Thunder clip. We never gave you permission and have no interest in being a part of your propaganda machine. War is not a movie. https://t.co/dMQqRxxVCa
— Ben Stiller (@BenStiller) March 6, 2026
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth also featured in the montage.
Following Mr Stiller's demand, one X user hit back: "Loved Tropic Thunder, however your getting up set over 1 second of footage from the Len Grossman dance scene post credits nor is propaganda. We know war is not a movie but yet we keep making movies about war." (sic)
Mr Stiller simply replied to the disgruntled social media user: "Usually to protest war."
He also clapped back when another X user branded the film a "terrible movie". "You are entitled to your opinion," Mr Stiller replied.
Ben Stiller has been a vocal critic of President Trump
| GETTYTropic Thunder, which proved a commercial success upon its release in 2008, follows a group of actors who believe they are filming a war picture but inadvertently find themselves in genuine combat.
Mr Stiller starred in the production alongside Jack Black and Robert Downey Jr, with the latter earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his performance.
The specific footage used by the White House depicted Tom Cruise in his role as fictional Hollywood executive Les Grossman, shown dancing in a memorable scene from the film.
Mr Stiller served as director, lead actor, and co-screenwriter on the satirical comedy, which lampooned the film industry's approach to depicting warfare.
The US and Israel launched devastating strikes on the Islamic regime in Iran last week | GETTYThe administration's use of entertainment content without authorisation has drawn criticism before.
Last October, songwriter Kenny Loggins publicly objected after his track Danger Zone appeared in a White House video showing Trump flying over protesters and dropping excrement on them.
"This is an unauthorized use of my performance of 'Danger Zone.' Nobody asked me for my permission, which I would have denied, and I request that my recording on this video is removed immediately," Mr Loggins stated at the time.
The White House has also incorporated music from pop stars in its social media output, using Sabrina Carpenter's Juno in a post depicting ICE raids last year.
Taylor Swift's The Fate of Ophelia featured in a November montage celebrating Trump, despite the president's frequent criticism of the singer on social media. Swift did not publicly respond to that video.