‘War is not a movie’: Ben Stiller criticises White House for featuring ‘Tropic Thunder’ clip in ‘propaganda’ video

WASHINGTON: Actor and filmmaker Ben Stiller has criticised the White House after a clip from his 2008 satirical action-comedy ‘Tropic Thunder’ was used in a pro-military montage video shared online.

Taking to the social media platform X, Stiller demanded the clip be removed, stating that neither he nor the film’s creators had authorised its use.

“Hey White House, please remove the Tropic Thunder clip,” Stiller wrote, adding, “We never gave you permission and have no interest in being a part of your propaganda machine. War is not a movie”, in a response to White House’s post.
The 42-second video posted by the White House combines drone footage of recent military strikes carried out by the United States and Israel against Iran with scenes from popular films, television shows and video games. The montage concludes with branding associated with the administration of US President Donald Trump alongside the caption “JUSTICE THE AMERICAN WAY”.

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

Among the entertainment clips featured in the video are scenes involving actor Tom Cruise, beginning with footage from Minority Report and followed by a segment from ‘Top Gun: Maverick.’ The montage also includes a brief shot of Cruise’s flamboyant studio executive character, Less Grossman, dancing at the end of ‘Tropic Thunder.’

Additional footage in the compilation draws from several well-known franchises and titles, including ‘Star Wars,’ ‘Breaking Bad,’ ‘Gladiator,’ ‘Braveheart,’ ‘John Wick,’ ‘Superman,’ ‘Transformers,’ ‘Deadpool’ and the video game franchise ‘Halo.’

The controversy comes amid escalating tensions in West Asia following a joint US-Israel military strike on Iranian territory on February 28. The operation resulted in the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior figures, triggering retaliatory missile and drone attacks by Tehran across multiple countries in the region.

According to US Central Command, the ongoing military campaign involves more than 50,000 troops, roughly 200 fighter jets and two aircraft carriers. Officials say the primary objective is to dismantle Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities.

President Trump, speaking at a roundtable discussion on collegiate sports at the White House, praised the operation and claimed that Iran’s military infrastructure had been severely weakened. He described the campaign as a decisive success and said the US military was performing “phenomenally”. (ANI)