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By Rachael O'Connor
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The Pokémon Company has hit out at the White House after its intellectual property was used to create a meme promoting President Donald Trump.
On X, the Trump administration is known for using online memes to promote its aims, and the Department of Homeland Security has previously come under fire for comparing apprehending migrants to catching Pokémon.
Now the company has hit out again, after the official White House account (@TheWhiteHouse) used a popular Pokémon meme to promote itself.
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When approached for comment by Newsweek, The White House replied with a link to this X post from Kaelan Dorr, Deputy Assistant to the President and White House Deputy Communications Director. Pokémon did not wish to comment on this story, and Dorr's X post, when approached by Newsweek.
On March 5, The White House posted an image from the new Pokémon game, Pokopia, where the title of the game was changed to instead read: "Make America Great Again."
It follows a meme trend where internet users change the title to display different words. The image includes recognizable Pokémon characters and icons, including the Pokémon Center, Pikachu, Magikarp and Pidgey.
The Pokémon Company has now hit out at the administration with a statement seen by The New York Times.
Company spokeswoman Sravanthi Dev said: "We are aware of recent social content that includes imagery associated with our brand.
"We were not involved in its creation or distribution, and no permission was granted for the use of our intellectual property. Our mission is to bring the world together, and that mission is not affiliated with any political viewpoint or agenda."
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X users quickly responded in their own way to the White House's post, using the meme template to create their own Pokopia logo, with words insulting the administration and Donald Trump.
Pokopia was released to the public in March 2026, days after a Pokémon Presents, celebrating the franchise's 30th anniversary, revealed upcoming new games, products, and additions to the Nintendo Online Store.
In September 2025, the Department of Homeland Security shared a video on X with the caption, "Gotta Catch 'Em All," the slogan widely associated with Pokémon animated series, along with footage of ICE raids and arrests edited with footage from the original series' opening theme.
At the time, The Pokémon Company International told Newsweek: "We are aware of a recent video posted by the Department of Homeland Security that includes imagery and language associated with our brand. Our company was not involved in the creation or distribution of this content, and permission was not granted for the use of our intellectual property."
Update 03/06/26, 10:18 a.m. EST: This story has been updated to include The White House's response.
Update 03/06/26, 11:37 a.m. EST: This story has been updated to confirm Pokémon did not wish to comment on this story.
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