HBO Tells Trump to Stop Using Game of Thrones Meme for Iran Sanctions

The Trump administration was looking for a way to promote the imposing of nuclear sanctions on Iran with the depth and gravity that the subject deserves. Just kidding! Instead they tried to meme-ify the Iran sanctions with a play on the popular Game of Thrones quote, “Winter is Coming.” It looked a little something like this:

Unsurprisingly, this tweet from America’s King Joffrey did not go over well, with HBO responding with the following tweet:

Following their tweet, HBO made a statement saying, “We were not aware of this messaging and would prefer our trademark not be misappropriated for political purposes.” Stars of the series also took to social media to voice their objection to Trump’s use of the catchphrase.

The administration’s move to reimpose sanctions undoes a 2015 Obama-era agreement, which lifted billions of dollars worth of sanctions in exchange for Iran’s nuclear de-escalation. Trump’s move is yet another in his continuous campaign to undo everything the Obama administration put in place. Trump had announced plans to reimpose sanctions in May.

But Iran wasn’t content to stay out of the meme war. Iranian general Ghasem Soleimany responded with a meme of his own on Instagram:

Look, I enjoy Game of Thrones as much as the next nerd, but is anyone else really disturbed that the leaders of two world powers are bickering over NUCLEAR SANCTIONS with Game of Thrones memes and catchphrases? I’m starting to think that men are too emotional to be in politics. In the meantime, enjoy these meme responses:

(via Hollywood Reporter, image: HBO)

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Chelsea Steiner

Chelsea was born and raised in New Orleans, which explains her affinity for cheesy grits and Britney Spears. An pop culture journalist since 2012, her work has appeared on Autostraddle, AfterEllen, and more. Her beats include queer popular culture, film, television, republican clownery, and the unwavering belief that 'The Long Kiss Goodnight' is the greatest movie ever made. She currently resides in sunny Los Angeles, with her husband, 2 sons, and one poorly behaved rescue dog. She is a former roller derby girl and a black belt in Judo, so she is not to be trifled with. She loves the word “Jewess” and wishes more people used it to describe her.

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