Ben Stiller Calls Out White House for Using Tropic Thunder Clip

Ben Stiller has publicly criticized the White House for using a clip from his film Tropic Thunder in a video that seemingly promotes military actions. His statement on social media highlights concerns over the unauthorized use of creative content for political purposes. Stiller's remarks come amid a wave of backlash from other celebrities, including Kesha, who condemned the use of her song in a similar context. This incident raises questions about the ethical implications of using entertainment media in political messaging, especially in light of recent military actions. Read on to discover more about the reactions from Hollywood and the White House's response.

By Narendra Chaudhary Mar 7, 2026, 07:52 IST

Ben Stiller Criticizes White House for Movie Clip Usage

Actor Ben Stiller has taken to social media to criticize the official White House account for using a clip from his film Tropic Thunder. The 60-year-old star expressed his discontent on X, previously known as Twitter, after the White House shared a video that included a montage of various films and TV shows, such as Top Gun, Superman, Transformers, Breaking Bad, and Iron Man, alongside clips that appeared to depict U.S. military actions.

Stiller's Response to the White House

The White House captioned the video with the phrase, "Justice the American way." In response, Stiller tweeted, "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."

This video seems to be aimed at provoking reactions from Hollywood and those opposed to President Trump's military actions, particularly Operation Epic Fury against Iran.

Stiller is not alone in his criticism; several other celebrities, including Celine Dion, Bruce Springsteen, and Kesha, have also voiced their concerns after the White House utilized their content. Recently, Kesha condemned the use of her song Blow in a video that depicted military aggression, stating, "It's come to my attention that The White House has used one of my songs on TikTok to incite violence and threaten war. Trying to make light of war is disgusting and inhumane."

Kesha emphasized that she does not support her music being associated with violence.

White House's Reaction to Celebrity Backlash

In response to Kesha's remarks, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung shared her comments on X, stating, "All these ‘singers’ keep falling for this. This just gives us more attention and more view counts to our videos because people want to see what they’re complaining about. Thank you for your attention to this matter." The use of military footage in such a context has drawn significant criticism, especially following reports of a tragic incident involving U.S. forces and an Iranian girls’ school.