Steven Downes, the voice of Halo's Master Chief, has demanded the removal of his voice from a White House video promoting airstrikes on Iran. The video, posted on March 6, 2026, features clips from various films, games, and shows interspersed with war footage. Dan Green, voice of Yu-Gi-Oh's Yami Yugi, also criticized the use as disrespectful to the series' creator.
On March 6, 2026, the White House's Twitter account shared a video titled "JUSTICE THE AMERICAN WAY" to promote joint United States and Israel airstrikes on Iran that occurred at the end of February 2026. The video includes clips from multiple sources, such as Superman, John Wick, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Top Gun's Maverick played by Tom Cruise, Iron Man portrayed by Robert Downey Jr., Saul Goodman from the Breaking Bad universe, Keanu Reeves' John Wick, and video games including Halo's Master Chief. It intersperses these fictional elements with actual footage of the airstrikes, set to upbeat music.
Steven Downes, known for voicing Master Chief in the Halo series, responded on March 8, 2026, via his personal Twitter account. "It has come to my attention that there is at least one propaganda video circulating that was either produced or at the very least endorsed by the White House that uses images of Master Chief and uses my voice to support the war in Iran," he wrote. "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. I demand that the producers of this disgusting and juvenile war porn remove my voice immediately."
Dan Green, the voice actor for Yami Yugi in the Yu-Gi-Oh! anime, issued a statement on March 7, 2026. "It came to my attention that the White House used my voice to encourage violence in Iran," Green stated. "Doing so tacitly implicates Kazuki Takahashi’s most beloved contribution, which continues to inspire people to become who they are, and this was presented in a way far removed from the story he was telling. Takahashi died saving others. Yu-Gi-Oh! is universal, not political. It is disrespectful to present it in any other way."
Downes' post received over 2,000 comments, with many supporting his stance. The video has faced online criticism for its content. Separately, The Pokémon Company issued a statement last week objecting to the White House's use of a Pokémon-related meme for political promotion, stating it was not involved and that its mission is apolitical. Eurogamer has sought comment from Microsoft regarding the use of Halo material.
