Video games have become the latest venue for culture to push back against the excesses of the Trump administration, from federal lawsuits to voice actors speaking out about the misuse of their work.
On Friday, Nintendo of America sued the Trump administration over President Donald Trump’s tariffs on imported products—levies that the Supreme Court later found to be illegal. Nintendo is asking for a refund of the tariffs it was required to pay out after Trump invoked the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977.
Last April, Nintendo was forced to temporarily pause preorders of its Switch 2 video game console to adjust for the new tariffs imposed by Trump on imports from Japan. The new costs imposed by Trump were passed on to millions of consumers who simply wanted the latest game system to play games like “Mario Kart World” and “Donkey Kong Bananza.”
In late February, the Supreme Court ruled that Trump had overstepped his presidential power by unilaterally imposing tariffs, an unusual rebuke from a court dominated by conservatives. That decision has opened the floodgates of litigation, with thousands of suits being filed. The administration has also been sued by roughly two dozen states seeking relief for companies and consumers after they paid out billions for products.
President Donald Trump announces tariffs on April 2, 2025.
In another gaming-related embarrassment for Trump, he is being called out by voice actor Steve Downes, who appears as the iconic character Master Chief in the “Halo” video game franchise. Downes’ voice was used in a White House hype video about the Iran war.
“Let me make this crystal clear: I did not participate in nor was I consulted, nor do I endorse the use of my voice in this video, or the message it conveys,” Downes wrote. “I demand that the producers of this disgusting and juvenile war porn remove my voice immediately.”
Downes’ message echoes the sentiment of singer Sabrina Carpenter, who in December slammed the administration for using her music promoting Trump’s anti-immigrant agenda. After her song “Juno” was used over a montage of federal agents tackling immigrants, Carpenter wrote, “this video is evil and disgusting. Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda.”
Trump has frequently been publicly called out by actors, musicians, and other celebrities for the misuse of their images or work.
In perhaps the most twisted video-game-related incident, the White House used footage from the “Call of Duty” game franchise to promote the Iran war. The footage from the game, which is a first-person shooter, is a far cry from the realities of the Iran war, which has so far claimed the lives of hundreds of Iranians and seven members of the U.S. military while causing global chaos and disruption.
