Calls for GameStop Boycott After it Posts AI-Slop Featuring Trump Shaking Hand of Halo Protagonist
“It would be shameful if #BoycottGameStop was trending,” @PawlowskiMario posted.
This post is part of The Fascists’ Mixtape, a Carceral Report series on how Trump uses popular culture to advance its fascist agenda.
Gamers are calling for a boycott of GameStop after it posted AI-generated images of Trump shaking the hand of Halo protagonist, Master Chief, in the White House, and a second image of Trump as Master Chief.
Several commenters slammed GameStop for its posts promoting Trump:
This is the dumbest fucking thing you have ever done and that speaks volumes considering all the fucking stupid shit you have done,” wrote @IRebelSavagely.
“Stop interacting with this fascist admin. Chief would never support these nazis and they are everything he stands against,” @Nljigakulive wrote.
“Never buying from GameStop again,” wrote @lowlief_13.
“It would be shameful if #BoycottGameStop was trending,” @PawlowskiMario posted.
The White House also created its own post featuring Trump as Master Chief in response to GameStop’s announcement that the game, Halo: Campaign Evolved, formerly an Xbox exclusive, is coming to PlayStation in 2026 with cross-platform play. In the image, the American flag has the incorrect number of stars.
The Trump administration frequently uses images, clips, and music from popular culture to promote its fascist agenda, often with impunity. As I previously reported for Truthout:
On September 22, DHS posted a video featuring the popular Pokémon theme song, “Gotta Catch ‘Em All,” over clips from the cartoon and videos of federal officers abducting people. In one clip, numerous people are sitting on a field, their hands zip tied behind them. “Department of Homeland Security” is written in the distinctive Pokémon font when the video opens. The video ends with mock Pokemon cards featuring the photos of those they arrested.
It does not appear Nintendo, which owns The Pokémon Company and is notoriously litigious, has taken any legal action, as the video is still posted online.