Shortly after officials from his administration announced the reimposition of sanctions on Iran, President Trump sought to drive the point home in a highly unconventional fashion: by tweeting out what looked like a poster promoting a new movie.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 2, 2018
Both the typeface and phrasing were borrowed from the HBO medieval fantasy series, “Game of Thrones,” in which the motto “Winter is coming” signals the need for vigilance.
The sanctions, lifted by President Barack Obama as part of the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement, are set to be reimposed on Monday, one day before the Nov. 6 midterm elections.
Trump’s tweet set of a flurry of responses on Twitter, with many critics suggesting sanctions would actually be imposed on him on Election Day — in the form of large losses in Republican congressional seats.
Sanctions are coming for you on November 6, you orange idiot. And how dare you ruin Game of Thrones? https://t.co/Wc1GEfxdlT
— Kelly Weiler (@beaglehaus) November 2, 2018
HBO was seemingly not amused at first by Trump’s meme, which was also shared on the official White House Twitter account.
“We were not aware of this messaging and would prefer our trademark not be misappropriated for political purposes,” the cable network said in a statement.
Later on, HBO’s response took a more playful turn.
“How do you say trademark misuse in Dothraki?” it said in a tweet, referring to a fictional language used on “Game of Thrones.”
How do you say trademark misuse in Dothraki?
— HBO (@HBO) November 2, 2018