Ben Stiller tells White House: 'Not a part of your "propaganda machine"'

Ben Stiller's Tropic Thunder (2008) reignited memories of its early controversy when a White House video posted to X included a clip of Tom Cruise's Les Grossman. The montage paired Grossman with scenes from Top Gun, Braveheart, Iron Man 2, Superman, The Last Jedi, John Wick and Transformers, set to the Mortal Kombat theme and ending with "Flawless victory" over an image of the White House behind President Trump's name.

Stiller responded on X: "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." He also pushed back on the video's purpose, noting the post was made to drum up enthusiasm for its war in Iran and reminding the administration that "War is not a movie." The episode fits a pattern in which the Trump administration has often misread popular media and recast villains as heroes.

Last fall, Trump referred to major Heritage Foundation donor Russ Vought as Darth Vader.

United States, Washington, D.C.

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