HBO Slammed Donald Trump After He Tweeted A 'Game Of Thrones'-Themed Meme
We all love a good Game of Thrones-themed meme, and the leader of the United States is apparently no exception. President Donald Trump recently tweeted a meme of himself including a nod to Game of Thrones, but the show's network wasn't too thrilled about it. ICYMI, HBO's reaction to Donald Trump's Game of Thrones tweet is the perfect clapback. Elite Daily has reached out to HBO and the White House for further comment, but did not hear back by the time of publication.
On Nov. 2, Trump tweeted a photo of himself in front of a background resembling the typical Game of Thrones promotional poster. The meme read, "Sanctions are coming - November 5," clearly referencing the popular Game of Thrones mantra, "Winter is coming." Although it's the title of the fantasy series's very first episode in 2011 and the first season tagline, the phrase is also the motto of the House of Stark. It has gained notoriety throughout the series for capturing the Stark family members' vigilance toward whatever may come their way, and the saying has definitely seeped its way into the overall pop culture lexicon.
Fans of the epic show know that the Starks always have a reason to stay alert, and now it looks like President Trump is advising his followers to do the same about sanctions. On Friday, his administration announced plans to reinstate all Iran sanctions that the 2015 nuclear deal originally removed. As confirmed in the president's tweet, the sanctions will be back in effect by Monday, Nov. 5.
In an unusual move, Trump posted his photo without any accompanying text, but HBO was still quick to respond to the tweet. In a statement sent to TMZ, a representative for the network said, "We were not aware of this messaging and would prefer our trademark not be misappropriated for political purposes."
Despite the more formal response to Trump's message, the HBO Twitter account chose to poke fun at the network's feelings about the president's reference. Someone call in George R.R. Martin for an official translation!
Some cast members of the HBO hit have also shared their feelings about Trump's play on words. Maise Williams, who plays Arya Stark, tweeted, "Not today," in response to the original post. In a direct response to the tweet, her onscreen sister Sophie Turner wrote, "Ew." The House of Stark certainly does not approve.
This isn't the first time Trump and Game of Thrones have been referenced together. According to Entertainment Weekly, author Martin once implied that the president reminded him of the tyrannical, immature character King Joffrey. Game of Thrones star Kit Harington, who portrays honorary Stark Jon Snow, has also been vocal about his dislike of Trump. I guess this means the president definitely won't score an invite to the show's Season 8 premiere.
Of course, the tweet has now inspired a slew of parodies, including several referencing the coming of Special Counsel head Robert Mueller. Does that make Mueller a Lannister in Trump's eyes? While President Trump has yet to comment further on the tweet, we're sure it's only a matter of time before he elaborates about the post.
Season 8 of Game of Thrones premieres on HBO in 2019.
