Trump’s AI Naruto Portrayal Sparks Outrage in Japan

Donald Trump’s controversial use of artificial intelligence took a new turn after a recent video shared by the U.S. president sparked anger in Japan and pushed The Pokémon Company International to publicly distance itself from political imagery connected to his administration. The AI-generated video, part of a campaign music video for «Thank You, President Trump» by New York congressional candidate Anthony Constantino, presents Trump in a series of exaggerated and surreal scenes meant to celebrate his political image.

The footage shows Trump dining with the Mexican president, riding a lion and appearing as a monument-style figure.

The video was designed as a highly stylized tribute and relies heavily on AI-generated imagery to place Trump in a variety of fictional and larger-than-life situations. While several scenes attracted attention online, one sequence quickly became the center of the controversy.

The sequence that drew the sharpest reaction in Japan digitally depicts Trump as Naruto Uzumaki, wearing the character’s recognizable orange-and-black ninja costume from the famous manga and anime franchise Naruto.

The imagery immediately stood out because Naruto remains one of the most recognizable Japanese fictional characters in the world and a cultural icon for generations of manga and anime fans.

The image of Trump as Naruto quickly spread across Japanese social media, where fans criticized the use of a beloved cultural figure in partisan American political messaging.

Critics argued that using Naruto in a campaign-related video attached the character to political debates that have nothing to do with the story or its creator. Screenshots and clips circulated widely across fan communities and online forums.

Naruto, created by Masashi Kishimoto, built its global popularity around themes of perseverance, empathy, forgiveness and overcoming hatred.

Many critics argued that placing the character alongside Trump’s political messaging contradicted the values that helped make the franchise successful. Others expressed concern that fictional characters were increasingly being used as political symbols despite having no connection to modern political campaigns.

The backlash soon expanded beyond social media criticism after a petition in Japan demanded that Trump and the White House stop using beloved manga and anime characters without authorization.

The petition rapidly attracted nearly 20,000 signatures within only a few days. Supporters argued that fictional characters should not be transformed into political tools without the approval of creators, publishers or rights holders.

Many supporters of the petition also pointed to artificial intelligence as a growing concern for entertainment franchises. They argued that AI-generated content allows recognizable characters to be copied, altered and distributed faster than ever before.

The controversy became part of a broader discussion about whether public figures and political campaigns should be allowed to use AI-generated versions of copyrighted characters without permission.

The controversy also revived attention on earlier concerns from The Pokémon Company International, which had already condemned the unauthorized use of Pokémon-related imagery connected to the White House.

Following previous uses of imagery associated with the Pokémon Pokopia video game, the company publicly distanced itself from the content and emphasized that it had not participated in the production or distribution of the material.

Sravanthi Dev, a spokesperson for The Pokémon Company International, issued a written statement to major news organizations including The New York Times and the BBC. «We were not involved in its creation or distribution,» Dev said.

She further added: «Our mission is to bring the world together, and that mission is not affiliated with any political viewpoint or agenda.»

The statement was widely viewed as a direct rejection of attempts to associate the Pokémon brand with political messaging.

Trump and his campaign have repeatedly faced objections from artists and rights holders over the use of copyrighted material. Jack White objected to the use of «Seven Nation Army» and wrote:

«Oh… Don’t even think about using my music you fascists.»

Neil Young also criticized the use of «Rockin’ in the Free World», stating:

«Imagine what it feels like to hear ‘Rockin’ in the Free World’ after this President speaks, like it is his theme song. I did not write it for that.»

Similar disputes have involved ABBA, Foo Fighters, Céline Dion, Beyoncé and Creedence Clearwater Revival.

The Naruto controversy has also reminded critics of Trump’s 2018 use of imagery inspired by HBO’s Game of Thrones.

At the time, he posted a graphic reading «Sanctions Are Coming — November 5,» a reference to the show’s famous slogan. HBO responded publicly with the message: «How do you say trademark infringement in Dothraki?»

For many critics, the latest AI-generated Naruto video represents a continuation of a long-running pattern in which entertainment properties are incorporated into political messaging without authorization from the people or companies behind them.