Nearly 20,000 people in Japan have signed an online petition protesting US President Donald Trump and the White House’s use of Japanese manga and anime characters without permission on social media platforms [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. The petition, titled "Protect Japanese Manga," was first launched in March 2026 and relaunched on June 9 after Trump shared an AI-generated video depicting himself as Naruto Uzumaki on Truth Social on June 6 [2, 3, 6, 4, 5].
The initial backlash followed White House posts on the X platform in March that combined videos of US military strikes on Iran with clips from Yu-Gi-Oh!, Dragon Ball, and Pokémon imagery, which were used without authorization [1, 2, 3, 7, 4, 5]. The petition criticizes the use of these characters for political and military messaging, arguing it contradicts the original creators’ values. Petition organizers said, "For many years, these works have inspired audiences around the world by conveying values such as courage, friendship, and perseverance. ... fans feel concerned when images from these works appear to be used in political or military contexts that may differ from the intentions of the original creators or rights holders" [2].
The official Yu-Gi-Oh! X account confirmed the creators and anime staff were not involved and denied granting permission for the intellectual property’s use in White House posts [3]. Pokémon Company International also condemned the use of its imagery, stating, "Our mission is to bring the world together, and that mission is not affiliated with any political viewpoint or agenda" [1, 7].
Following the complaints, Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs made a formal request to the US Embassy to address the unauthorized use of Japanese intellectual property on White House social media accounts in June 2026 [3, 7, 5].
Social media fans expressed mixed reactions. Some viewed the exposure as free publicity raising international recognition. However, fans like Matsui Qunishige said, "If you respect the creators and those involved and have obtained their permission, I think that’s fine. Otherwise, you’re just showing yourself to be someone who can’t follow the rules and who disregards culture" [3]. Another fan, Kei Fukuyosh, said, "I truly, from the bottom of my heart, want them to stop. Their sense of ethics is severely lacking. I want the government to speak out against this" [3].
The petition campaign has emphasized respect for copyright, creator permission, and ethical use of culturally significant works [3, 4, 5]. Although estimates vary, reports say the petition has nearly 20,000 signatures, with some sources claiming more than 23,800 [1, 7].
The petition remains open following the June 9 relaunch, aiming to pressure authorities and social media accounts to cease unauthorized use of manga and anime characters in US political messaging [2, 3, 4, 5].
