The White House is once again incorporating video game imagery into its political messaging, this time drawing inspiration from Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Published on November 5, the video depicts President Donald Trump as a video game character in a parody whose opening screen reads The Legend of Trump: Make America Great Again, using recognizable imagery and music from the franchise. Accompanied by the caption “It’s dangerous to go alone! Take this,” the video shows a cartoon version of Trump wearing a hat reading “Still Your President” as he travels through a game-like environment alongside a fairy companion. On-screen messages promote the administration’s claimed accomplishments, including prescription drug pricing and immigration enforcement. The White House also published the video in its official online video library.
The timing is notable: the post appeared on the same day Nintendo launched its extensively updated Ocarina of Time for Nintendo Switch 2, featuring overhauled visuals, voiced cutscenes, and other enhancements as part of the franchise’s 40th-anniversary celebrations. Nintendo has not publicly commented on the White House video, and there is no confirmation that the company authorized the use of its intellectual property. The latest post follows previous instances of government accounts incorporating recognizable gaming properties into political communications. In September 2025, the Department of Homeland Security used Pokémon imagery and language in an immigration-enforcement recruitment video. The Pokémon Company International responded that it had not participated in the video’s creation or distribution and had not granted permission to use its intellectual property.
The company reiterated its position in March 2026 after the White House used Pokémon Pokopia imagery in another political post. It emphasized that its mission to bring people together was not affiliated with any particular political viewpoint or agenda. Other franchises have faced similar situations. The White House previously published a Tetris-inspired browser game called Build the Wall, prompting The Tetris Company to publicly distance itself from the project and warn that it takes copyright infringement seriously. The game was subsequently removed from the White House website, although the administration did not publicly explain the removal.
The Zelda video raises familiar questions about the use of copyrighted entertainment properties in government communications. However, neither the absence of an authorization announcement nor the objections made by other companies establish that the latest video constitutes copyright infringement. Nintendo has not publicly announced whether it authorized the use or intends to challenge it. For now, the White House’s latest post adds another major gaming franchise to the growing list of entertainment properties incorporated into political messaging. Whether Nintendo will respond remains to be seen, particularly given the company’s recent anniversary celebrations and the renewed attention surrounding Ocarina of Time.
