Fifteen US service members have died as the war with Iran enters its fifth week of conflict, and some veterans have voiced their disgust at the White House Communications team’s posts featuring footage of war with “memes.”
In an interview with The Washington Post, retired US Army Colonel Joe Buccino stated that after witnessing war footage mixed with videos from Call of Duty and SpongeBob SquarePants, the White House communications team was treating the conflict like “a big joke.”
“They’re completely diminishing what they’re asking the nation to do in Iran,” Buccino told The Washington Post. “It seems almost obscene relative to the actual violence and suffering that’s involved.”
The White House has racked up millions of views across social media platforms in what Trump officials have argued inspires patriotism and pride in America’s service men and women. Even so, the Trump administration’s communication strategy has faced some backlash from veterans groups that claim using memes trivializes and mocks the serious human costs and the realities of war.
John Vick, a former US Marine and Navy veteran and executive director of Concerned Veterans for America, told The Washington Post that the success of the joint US-Israeli military operations deserved praise but warned against flippant treatment of war as it “undermines the sacrifice of the Americans who have died, and obfuscates the cost of open-ended conflict,” Vick said.
President Trump’s media campaign has featured videos with scenes from popular movies and video games, including Nintendo Wii Sports, Top Gun, and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, accompanied by catchy and sometimes comedic soundtracks.
In a statement addressing the war memes, the White House said its strategy demonstrates the administration’s pride in the military operations’ overwhelming success” and “the strength of the most lethal fighting force in the world.”
Condemnation over Trump’s meme strategy has gone beyond just veterans and their families. Singer Kesha called out the White House for using her music in posts promoting Operation Epic Fury.
Steve Downes, who voiced the character Master Chief in the popular video game series Halo, voiced his criticism and alarm at the White House’s use of comedy to promote something as serious as a military campaign.
In response to a post from the White House featuring Master Chief, Downes vilified the meme strategy as “disgusting and juvenile war porn.”
