The Trump administration's war messaging has taken an unconventional turn with TikTok-style videos that fuse real missile strikes on Iran with scenes from Hollywood blockbusters and video games. The result has left former defence officials and lawmakers scandalised, with critics accusing the White House of turning warfare into spectacle.
Across its social media platforms, the administration has pushed out high-energy clips that cut between actual explosions in Iran and footage of action heroes, gaming sequences, and even hard-hitting football moments.
The tone has drawn sharp backlash, including from a senior cleric in the US Catholic Church, who argued that such content reduces the gravity of real conflict to entertainment.
The videos borrow heavily from pop culture, with snippets from "Braveheart", "Superman", "Top Gun", "Breaking Bad", and "Iron Man" woven into visuals believed to depict the Iran campaign.
In one edit, a cartoon version of SpongeBob SquarePants appears between scenes of destruction, quipping, "You wanna see me do it again?" as images of bombed buildings, aircraft, and vehicles flash on screen.
Despite the outrage, the strategy appears to be delivering exactly what the White House wants - reach.
"Over a four day period, the videos that we put out had over 3 billion impressions," a senior White House official told Politico. "That blows away anything we've ever done in the second term," they added.
Still, many are struggling to reconcile this approach with the seriousness of war.
"I don't think the performance of our men and women in uniform requires embellishment from Hollywood or computer games," said Joe Votel, a former Central Command chief during the first Trump administration. "They represent the American people quite well on their own."
Others who have commanded troops say the stylised, almost gamified presentation risks trivialising the human cost of conflict.
"It just seems detached from reality," said retired Lt Gen. Ben Hodges, a two-star general who commanded US troops in Europe during President Barack Obama's second term. "Our allies look at this and they wonder, what the hell is going on. It doesn't look like we're serious."
In a statement, Chicago Archbishop Cardinal Blase Cupich warned that such messaging erodes moral perspective.
"Our government is treating the suffering of the Iranian people as a backdrop for our own entertainment, as if it's just another piece of content to be swiped through while we're waiting in line at the grocery store," Cupich said. "But, in the end, we lose our humanity when we are thrilled by the destructive power of our military."
Inside the administration, however, officials insist the approach is deliberate and effective.
"Polls show that a lot of young people are actually somewhat supportive of this war and our goal is to deliver content to them," said the senior White House official, who is involved in the video edits. "What we're doing is not disrespecting the American troops. To the contrary, we're highlighting all the great work - the heroic work that they've been doing with these videos. We do it in a way that captivates an audience."
The official framed the campaign as a modern evolution of wartime communication.
"We use every tool in our toolbox to ensure there's proper messaging to correct the record, but also give our allies the ability to help sell our message," the official said. "Like what is 'war communications'? What the former Bush people say? Well, if you want to talk about war communication under the Bush era - not great. 'Mission accomplished'? It's just a different time. It's a different audience."
Another senior official involved in producing the clips described the effort in more casual terms.
"We're over here just grinding away on banger memes, dude," said the person. "There's an entertainment factor to what we do. But ultimately, it boils down to the fact that no one has ever attempted to communicate with the American public this way before."
"Their entire strategy is rage bait and getting as many views as they can," said Lauren Kapp, a Democratic digital strategist. "They don't care if the engagement is bad or good. They want these videos to be seen by as many young, impressionable young people as possible."
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