The Pokémon Company has issued a statement clarifying that it did not authorize the use of its well-known theme song, imagery of Ash Ketchum, or its iconic slogan “Gotta catch ’em all” in a recent video released by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The video, which was shared by the Homeland Security X account and the White House on TikTok, featured these elements alongside footage of border patrol and ICE arrests.
The statement from Pokémon Company International read: “We are aware of a recent video posted by the Department of Homeland Security that includes imagery and language associated with our brand. Our company was not involved in the creation or distribution of this content, and permission was not granted for the use of our intellectual property.”
The controversial video also incorporated animated trading cards displaying mugshots of individuals arrested by ICE, detailing their alleged crimes. Separately, comedian and podcaster Theo Von also expressed his objection to a DHS video that used a clip of him saying, “Heard you got deported, dude – bye,” to highlight deportation statistics. Von stated on X that he had not approved the use of his image and requested the video be taken down.