The White House faced backlash on social media for its attempt to portray President Donald Trump and his associates as a pirate crew from the popular anime "One Piece." The AI-generated image, shared on the White House's X account, depicted Trump alongside JD Vance, Scott Bessent, Pete Hegseth, and Marco Rubio aboard the Going Merry, a ship from the series. The caption read, "The Mark of a Good Crew 🇺🇸." The image itself was modeled after the show's poster and featured a figurehead in a MAGA hat and a mast displaying the Straw Hats' Jolly Roger emblem.
Fans of "One Piece" pointed out the irony of the post, as the Straw Hats' emblem is often used by protesters to symbolize the liberation of oppressed people and the fight against authoritarianism, according to CNN. Critics on X questioned the White House's choice, with some calling it a sign of "zero media literacy." One user suggested the White House was acting like "celestial dragons," a term for the elitist World Nobles in the anime, rather than pirates. Another user shared a clip of the character Luffy punching a "white racist billionaire" character from the series.
This is not the first time the Trump administration has used anime-themed memes to promote its agenda. Earlier this year, the White House utilized clips from "Yu-Gi-Oh!" and "Dragon Ball Z" to amplify support for military actions. These anime-related posts also drew criticism from Japanese officials at the time.