Hey, Microsoft: Are You Guys Also Cool With DHS And Trump Using ‘Halo’ Imagery For Fascism?

Legal Issues

from the silent-cowards dept

Earlier this year, I wrote about how ICE had decided to publish a horrifying recruitment video that mixed in footage of ICE raids, including one that got Kristi Noem in some hot water, along with the introduction to the Pokémon animated series, complete with the theme music behind it. The video itself wasn’t terribly surprising. ICE is filled with, and run by, terrible people and their decision to liken illegal immigrants in America to fantasy animals fit only for capture and vicarious battle is simply par for the course. The real surprise for me was that Nintendo, a company I am comfortable labeling as addicted to IP litigation, did absolutely nothing about it.

I can’t stress this point enough: Nintendo attempted to oppose a Costa Rican grocery store’s trademark application for being called “Super Mario Supermarket,” but can’t find enough spine to respond to ICE’s pilfering of its IP with anything other than an acknowledgement that it didn’t authorize its use. Neville Chamberlain would have been proud.

As with anything from this dumpster fire of an administration, failing to slap back at them results only in an increase in bad behavior. Both the White House and DHS appear to be increasing their video game based messaging, now including other game properties as well.

Earlier this week the White House posted an AI-generated image on X featuring President Donald Trump dressed as Master Chief from the Halo series, saluting a US flag (with missing stars) and holding a Covenant energy sword.

This was followed by another post by the official DHS account on X, which showed a screenshot from Halo along with the message “destroy the Flood – join ICE”.

So, unlike in the Pokémon instance, I waited. Not for there to be online outrage about the use of a beloved video game property in order to further the administration’s fascistic goals. I knew that was coming and it showed up right on time. I was waiting for Microsoft’s response to the use of its IP in this manner.

I’m still waiting. As best as I can tell, Microsoft hasn’t said a single freaking word about this whole thing. And, as I said was the case with the earlier Nintendo story, that means that the company either officially or tacitly endorses the use. There is no other potential way to read this. And it is not lost on anyone that Microsoft donated to Trump’s campaign and has all kinds of government contracts with this administration. Their silence, it appears, is designed to keep the money flowing.

Those who worked on the franchise have not been so silent.

Speaking to Game File, Halo co-creator and Master Chief lead designer Marus Lehto said he found the DHS’s ICE recruitment post “absolutely abhorrent”, saying: “It really makes me sick seeing Halo co-opted like this.”

Meanwhile, Jaime Griesemer – one of the chief designers on numerous early Halo games – said he found the post showing Trump as Master Chief amusing, stating that he took it as a compliment because “like anything with cultural capital, it is going to be used by politicians and brands and anyone else looking for relevancy”.

However, Griesemer said he didn’t approve of the DHS / ICE post, saying: “Using Halo imagery in a call to ‘destroy’ people because of their immigration status goes way too far, and ought to offend every Halo fan, regardless of political orientation. I personally find it despicable. The Flood are evil space zombie parasites and are not an allegory to any group of people.”

What those people cannot do is send C&D notices to the government. They can’t get Microsoft’s lawyers involved. They don’t have a legal war chest to throw around, nor the IP rights directly to protect from use by this clown show of a government.

And because of that inaction, the administration has become even more emboldened to do this to others.

Now, journalist Alyssa Mercante has received a statement from DHS saying it had no plans to stop using video games to spread its messaging.

“We will reach people where they are with content they can relate to and understand, whether that be Halo, Pokémon, Lord of the Rings or any other medium,” the statement reads. “DHS remains laser focused on bringing awareness to the flood of crime that criminal illegal aliens have inflicted on our country. We aren’t slowing down.”

Again, these are companies that have been all too happy to throw legal threats and/or lawsuits around for the barest of reasons. Here, however, they are silent.

Cowards.

Filed Under: dhs, fascism, halo, ice, white house
Companies: microsoft