The ongoing battle of words between President Donald Trump and Iran just went to another level.
The president fired off a “Game of Thrones” inspired meme about his plans to reimpose sanctions against Iran next week and earned a retaliatory meme in response.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 2, 2018
“Sanctions are coming November 5,” the meme read posted by Trump read, complete with font apparently inspired by the HBO hit show “Game of Thrones.”
Earlier this year, the president had announced that the U.S. would be withdrawing from the 2015 agreement reached by the Obama administration which relieved sanctions and effectively handed Iran billions of dollars in exchange for purported curbs on its nuclear program.
A period of time allowing companies doing business with Iran to make arrangements runs out on Sunday and the president intends to reinstate the sanctions, The Hill reported.
HBO was not too happy about Trump’s use of their hit show’s trademark.
“We were not aware of this messaging and would prefer our trademark not be misappropriated for political purposes,” an HBO spokeswoman told The Hill.
But Ghasem Soleimany, a major general in Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, defiantly tweeted what appeared to be a direct response to Trump, using the same text style.
View this post on Instagram
Other reactions came in on Twitter as well, including one from HBO asking how to say “trademark misuse” in one of the fictional languages of the series.
How do you say trademark misuse in Dothraki?
— HBO (@HBO) November 2, 2018
Stars from the show also responded to the president on Twitter:
Not today. https://t.co/Jg51mGHPO1
— Maisie Williams (@Maisie_Williams) November 2, 2018
Ew
— Sophie Turner (@SophieT) November 2, 2018
And while HBO and the stars of “Game of Thrones” have been critical of Trump even before his tweet, it sees no one was crying over trademarks when the Obama administration referred to the fictional continent of Westeros.
The Westeros Wing. #WHCD pic.twitter.com/wG4KbQ7BLn
— White House Archived (@ObamaWhiteHouse) May 4, 2014
The debate on Twitter raged as to whether Trump “misappropriated” the HBO show. And those who slammed the president for posting the meme were schooled on the left’s double standard and lack of a sense of humor.
Once again belittling the office of President by making a meme from a tv show to indicate life and death foreign policy. Embarrassing.
— Gamesover (@gamesoverpl2) November 2, 2018
It’s called a parody, you NPCs Allowed under fair use laws.
— Mark Dice (@MarkDice) November 2, 2018
How do you say you didn’t complain when Obama’s administration did it in Dothraki?https://t.co/XzghZvURLI
— alana mastrangelo (@ARmastrangelo) November 3, 2018
As if you have a trademark over all three-word sentences ending in “is/are coming”??? ???
Also, parody is fair use anyway.
Stop trying to abuse your government-granted monopolies.
— Luke Dashjr (@LukeDashjr) November 3, 2018
I guess hbo stands with those in Iran who chant death to America.#Walkaway from the looney left.
— Whatsthe411 (@Whatsthe4114) November 2, 2018
You should just be happy GOT is the biggest show in history. Your fans are from both sides of the aisle. Being bothered that someone you politically disagree with borrowed your font and put a new twist on your catchphrase is such liberal pettiness.
— Victor Vicarious ? (@UnifiedSubtext) November 2, 2018
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Frieda@bizpacreview.com
Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida where she has been writing for the BizPacReview team since 2015.
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