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A week after our favorite Wall-Crawler returned to theaters across the world in Spider-Man Brand New Day— the Trump Administration decided to turn Spider-Man into a public menace. By co-opting AI-Generated imagery to use Spider-Man’s likeness to promote its immigration enforcement agenda. A trick out of J. Jonah Jameson’s play book.
The official White House Instagram page made a post about ICE agents, consisting of a 4-photo carousel begins with a photo of Spider-Man releasing his iconic web, with the last photo showing several men handcuffed and covered in spiderwebs, overlooked by an ICE agent. The post reading “Your Friendly Neighborhood ICE Agents.”
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The post has already reached over 350,000 likes on Instagram, critics argue that the Administration does not understand the web-slinging hero— accusing them trend-hijacking. We have seen this tactic before when James Gunn’s Superman film when it was dominating the headlines. By inserting a partisan messaging into blockbuster cultural moments lets the administration hijack millions of dollars in corporate marketing for free, viral reach.
The White House’s spokesperson Lauren Bis emailed a statement to USA TODAY on August 7th: “Like spiderman, our law enforcement officers keeping our homeland safe are all heroes. Leftists triggered by the use of a fictional character to generate viral conversation with the American people need to look in the mirror and ask themselves if Spider-Man would endorse the crimes committed by these dangerous criminal illegal aliens that the Trump administration is working to remove from our communities.” A classic Spider-Man story contradicts the White House Spokesperson’s statement and their Instagram post, The Spectacular Spider-Man #137-138, written by Gerry Conway with art by Sal Buscema, Spider-Man investigates attacks on undocumented immigrants fleeing political violence in South America. Spider-Man risked his life to defend non-citizens against systemic exploitation—this story established canon history that stands in contrast to the Trump Administration’s rhetoric. The Trump White House didn’t just co-opt Spider-Man’s image—they co-opted a character whose canonical history stands in direct opposition to their policy messaging.
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This isn’t an isolated incident— it is an ongoing strategy that critics have described as Memetic Piggybacking. The administration has been engaged in Propaganda Co-optation, using corporate IP to bypass traditional AD buys, and manufacture viral outrage engagement. The practice has escalated into a international diplomatic friction. According to the Japan Times and foreign outlets, official accounts have used iconic anime and gaming franchises—including Naruto, Pokémon, and Mario—to market military and enforcement policies. Tokyo has warned that such unauthorized usage directly undermines the integrity of creators’ rights and damages global brand perception. When it comes to using the likeness of Japanese anime icons or Marvel Heroes, the strategy remains the same— hijacking beloved cultural icons for quick engagement, regardless of character canon or copyright law. But when government officials continue to paint Spider-Man as an enforcement mascot, they prove that they have fundamentally misunderstood what makes a hero in the first place.
Disclaimer: The Image used in this article was promotional material belonging to The Walt Disney Co., Sony Pictures Entertainment, And Marvel Studios’ Spider-Man Brand New Day Movie. It was used under editorial fair use for news commentary and criticism. All promotional imagery used is for reporting, critical analysis, and educational purposes under Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Act (Fair Use).
Source: USA TODAY, CBR, The Japan Times
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