Hasbro has responded to the Department of Homeland Security’s recent AI-generated social media posts that used the likeness of the Hasbro-owned character, Transformers’ Optimus Prime, to promote its deportation program, stating that DHS’ posts were created without their consent.
One DHS ad is an AI-generated fake movie poster for “Transformers: Age of Deportation” featuring Optimus Prime with DHS and ICE insignia.
A second DHS post showed Optimus face to face with a Sikh man, declaring, “Self-deport or find out” and “America for Americans. Get off our roads; you don’t know how to drive Mr Singh.” That post – which the DHS has since deleted – was widely blasted as being blatantly racist.
Hasbro responded Thursday with the following statement on their Instagram account:
“Optimus Prime is a beloved character who represents humility, leadership, compassion and justice. Hasbro is aware of the recent posts using his likeness. These posts were done without permission and do not represent the Transformers brand or Hasbro.”
As Entertainment Weekly points out, the DHS’ Optimus Prime spots were also criticized for coming on the heels of the death of Peter Cullen, the actor who voiced Optimus for decades.
Cullen’s final performance as the iconic Autobot leader will be in Optimus Prime: Awakening, an upcoming short film that will be presented with 40th anniversary screenings of The Transformers: The Movie.
The Trump Administration widely uses (often AI-generated) imagery and videos that appropriate pop culture in their social media posts.
The DHS’ Optimus Prime posts come on the heels of the White House’s AI video featuring President Trump as a Green Lantern and the release of the designs for new Space Force uniforms that have been likened to those worn by the Galactic Empire in the Star Wars franchise or by the soldiers in Starship Troopers, a sci-fi film that lampoons fascism.
