In a dramatic instance of how pop culture is being impacted by politics, Steve Downes, a voice actor known for his work in the popular franchise Halo, has requested that the White House remove a video it posted on social media supporting the war in Iran. The actor stated that his contribution was being used without his permission.
Downes, the voice actor for the character Master Chief in the Halo gaming franchise, has criticized a White House post that splices real footage from the war in Iran with violent gaming videos.
On Sunday, March 8, Downes took to his X account and said, “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.”
— Steve Downes (@SteveDownes117) March 8, 2026
The line, “I’m finishing this fight,” spoken by Downes as Master Chief, was featured in the White House video titled “Justice the American Way,” released last Friday (March 6).
The video splices real-life footage from President Donald Trump’s Iran war with popular movie clips such as Iron Man, Braveheart, Top Gun, Transformers and John Wick, drawing criticism from multiple contributors, now including Downes.
Downes said, “Let me make this crystal clear,” adding, “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.” He demanded that the producers of the video, which he described as “disgusting and juvenile,” remove his voice immediately.
Ben Stiller, who directed and starred in the film Tropic Thunder, didn’t like that the White House used a clip from the 2007 movie in the “Justice the American Way” video that came out last week. Les Grossman, the character Tom Cruise plays in the movie, makes a brief appearance in the White House video.
Stiller, 60, demanded that the White House remove the Tropic Thunder clip, insisting that no consent was given and that he did not want his work used to support political messaging. He also said that war is not a form of entertainment. The rights to Tropic Thunder are owned by Paramount Pictures, a company controlled by Trump ally David Ellison.
At the start of the “Justice the American Way” video, Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark from Iron Man 2 delivers a line that emphasizes his arrival. Downey Jr. previously supported Kamala Harris during the 2024 presidential campaign.
JUSTICE THE AMERICAN WAY. 🇺🇸🔥 pic.twitter.com/0502N6a3rL
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 6, 2026
The video also morphed computer-generated footage from the 2023 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 video game into real strikes conducted on Iran after Trump launched his war against the nation.
Pop star Kesha recently criticized the White House for using her song Blow in the video that she claimed was intended to incite violence and promote war. She made the comments on X, saying that the promotion of war is repulsive and wrong. She further added that she strictly opposes the promotion of violence using her music and that love must conquer hate.
The exchange led White House Communications Director Steven Cheung to argue that the trolling was intentional. Writing on X, he claimed that all the singers kept falling for it, which only drove more views and attention to the videos. Kesha responded to the post saying, “Stop using my music (…) @WhiteHouse.”
