Ben Stiller Slams Trump’s White House for Using ‘Tropic Thunder’ Clip: ‘War Is Not a Movie’

Ben Stiller has publicly criticized the White House under Donald Trump for using a scene from his 2008 film Tropic Thunder in a pro-war social media post. The post included a montage of clips from movies like Braveheart, Top Gun, Superman, Transformers, Iron Man 2, and Star Wars: The Last Jedi under the tagline “Justice the American way.”

Stiller, who starred as Tugg Speedman in the satire, responded on X, saying, “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.”

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

This is not the first time Trump’s White House has used films or music without permission to promote initiatives. Last year, Sabrina Carpenter’s song Juno was used in a post depicting ICE raids. Taylor Swift also had her song The Fate of Ophelia appear in a November video praising Trump, despite the president’s past criticisms of her online. Swift did not publicly comment on the use of her music.

Musician Kenny Loggins spoke out in October after the White House used his Top Gun hit Danger Zone in a video showing Trump flying over No Kings protestors. He said, “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.”

Stiller’s response adds to the growing list of artists and actors pushing back against the unauthorized use of their work for political messaging.

It’s important for creators to maintain control over how their art is used. Using movies or songs in political messaging without permission can mislead audiences and misrepresent the creator’s views. What do you think about the White House using clips or music like this? Share your thoughts in the comments.