President Trump might have the backing of the GOP, but he’s not exactly in good graces with Game of Thrones and HBO.
The premium cable provider cried misappropriation after the president tweeted an image of himself on Friday declaring that “Sanctions Are Coming” to Iran — in the vein of Game of Thrones key art declaring that “Winter is Coming” to the Seven Kingdoms.
“We were not aware of this messaging and would prefer our trademark not be misappropriated for political purposes,” a spokesperson for HBO said in a statement on Friday.
“How do you say trademark misuse in Dothraki?” the network tweeted from its official account, referring to one of the fictional languages spoken on the hit show.
Incidentally, Trump not only used the fantasy series’ distinctive font, but also appeared to flip the “November is Coming” narrative that began circulating by opposition groups. That slogan touted how the political climate might change if Democrats take back majority control of Congress in the critical midterm election next week.
The Trump administration announced plans on Friday to reimpose sanctions aimed at crippling Iran’s vital oil industry, a move that has roiled relations with US allies. His GoT-like poster says that sanctions are coming on Monday, a day before the midterm election and six months after the president withdrew from the landmark Iran nuclear deal.
Meanwhile, Game of Thrones stars Sophie Turner and Maisie Williams responded to the poster with a terse “Ew” and “Not today” on Twitter, respectively. Full Frontal With Samantha Bee, which has never exactly been pro-Trump, replied to the tweet with “Joffrey grew up,” recalling the Emmy-winning series’ long-loathed, tyrannical boy king.
Harry Potter author JK Rowling weighed in with, “He who lives by the meme, dies by the meme,” and shared an alternate take on Trump’s art.
