'Oh s**t, here we go again': White House uses videogame clips in Iran war push

One of the most famous lines in videogames — Carl “CJ” Johnson’s “Ah shit, here we go again” from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas — has turned up in White House social media posts as part of messaging around the US war in Iran. The government has been using videogame clips to promote its policies and activities, and the San Andreas clip appears alongside footage of strikes and explosions.

An earlier post on March 4 featured the text “courtesy of the red, and blue” and a video that spliced Call of Duty gameplay with real-world clips, including footage of strikes from the US war against Iran. A newer message uses the San Andreas moment — CJ walking up an alley and saying the line, cutting to an explosion and the game-over “Wasted” screen — repeated beneath all-caps text that reads “OPERATION EPIC FURY” followed by the stated objectives: • Destroy Iran’s missile arsenal.

• Destroy their navy. • Ensure they NEVER get a nuclear weapon. This is not the first time government accounts have leaned on videogame imagery.

United States

white house, videogame, san andreas, cj johnson, iran, missile arsenal, navy, nuclear weapon, strikes, social media