Overview
- The official White House X account shared an AI image of President Donald Trump as Halo’s Master Chief after reposting GameStop’s joke that the console wars are over.
- Hours later, the Department of Homeland Security posted a Halo-themed graphic reading "Destroy the Flood" that linked to an ICE recruitment page.
- Deputy press secretary Kush Desai defended the messaging, saying another war had ended under Trump’s watch and casting him as popular with gamers.
- Microsoft and Halo representatives declined substantive public comment on the government’s use of the franchise’s imagery, and no takedowns have appeared.
- The posts drew wide attention and backlash over dehumanization and unauthorized IP use, with coverage noting viral view counts and market chatter around GameStop.