The White House just turned a Democrat celebrity’s viral dance into official government propaganda, and the timing couldn’t be more suspicious.
Story Snapshot
- White House used AI to morph Trump into Jon Hamm’s viral dancing clip for official promotion
- The 20-second ad garnered 1 million views while promoting Trump’s “hottest country” claims
- Timing coincided with missed DOJ deadline for Epstein document releases
- Hamm, a known Democrat supporter, had no involvement or consent in the political messaging
When Government Hijacks Hollywood
On December 20th, 2025, the White House social media team crossed a new line by releasing a bizarre 20-second video that spliced AI-generated Trump imagery with footage of Jon Hamm’s euphoric dancing from Apple TV’s “Your Friends & Neighbors.” The ad, captioned “ALL WE NEEDED WAS A NEW PRESIDENT,” transformed the Mad Men star’s viral club scene into a celebration of Trump’s second term. By Sunday morning, the peculiar mashup had racked up over one million views on X.
This wasn’t the administration’s first rodeo with unauthorized celebrity content. Earlier in December, they repurposed Sabrina Carpenter’s “Juno” for a deportation ad until she called it “evil” and forced its removal. They also used Olivia Rodrigo’s “All-American B****” in DHS messaging before she denounced it as “racist.” But the Hamm situation breaks new ground by using a Democrat-supporting actor’s footage without permission in official White House propaganda.
The Art of Political Distraction
The timing of this viral stunt raises eyebrows among critics who smell a calculated distraction. Just one day before the ad’s release, the Department of Justice missed its December 19th deadline for releasing Jeffrey Epstein documents. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche appeared on Fox News promising “phased releases” of “several hundred thousand” files, but transparency advocates weren’t buying the delay tactics.
Social media users immediately connected the dots, flooding platforms with memes suggesting the dancing Trump ad was designed to shift attention away from the Epstein file controversy. The juxtaposition of government transparency failures with flashy pop culture propaganda fits a pattern that has become all too familiar in modern political theater.
Celebrity Consent in the Digital Age
Jon Hamm finds himself in an uncomfortable position as an unwitting star of Trump administration messaging. The actor, who has publicly supported Democratic candidates and causes, now sees his joyful dance moves from a television drama repurposed to celebrate policies he likely opposes. The original footage comes from his role as a finance professional turned suburban thief in the Apple TV series, where the euphoric club scene went viral on social media platforms.
Unlike musicians who can claim copyright infringement on their songs, actors face murkier legal territory when their televised performances get hijacked for political purposes. The White House’s use of AI technology to seamlessly blend Trump’s image with Hamm’s dance moves represents a new frontier in political appropriation of celebrity content. As of Sunday, Hamm’s representatives haven’t issued any public response, leaving observers wondering if another celebrity backlash is brewing.
The Hottest Country Narrative
The ad reinforces Trump’s repeated claim that America has transformed from “dead” to the “hottest country anywhere in the world” under his leadership. This messaging reached a crescendo during his December 17th address in the White House Diplomatic Reception Room, where he boasted about economic improvements since his January inauguration. The dancing imagery serves as a visual metaphor for this supposed national euphoria.
Yet the celebration feels hollow when government transparency takes a backseat to viral marketing. While the administration crafts feel-good content featuring stolen celebrity footage, serious questions about document releases and government accountability get buried under the noise of social media engagement metrics. The million-view count becomes the measure of success, regardless of the ethical implications or public trust erosion.
Sources:
White House releases bizarre ad featuring footage of Mad Men actor Jon Hamm
