Trump as Naruto? Petition against the use of anime by the White House gains strength in Japan after publication by the US president

Scene from 'Naruto'
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An online petition created in Japan to protest the use of manga and anime characters by the President of the United States, Donald Trump, and the White House on social media has already gathered almost 20 thousand signatures.
The mobilization gained strength after the release, last Saturday, of a video published by Trump on the Truth Social platform. In the post, the republican appears portrayed as Naruto Uzumaki, protagonist of the popular Japanese series "Naruto", which provoked negative reactions among fans of the work.
The petition had been launched in March, but was reopened this Tuesday after the publication of the video. The organizers state that the initiative seeks to express, in an "urgent" way, the concerns of admirers of Japanese animation and comics to the copyright holders of these productions.
Naruto anime was a global craze in its time
Kotik75/GoodFon
According to the campaign text, manga and anime works inspire people around the world by transmitting values such as courage, friendship and perseverance.
"For this reason, many fans are concerned when the images of the works appear to be used in political contexts or military personnel that may diverge from the intentions of the original creators or rights holders", states the document.
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Dissatisfaction also refers to other recent publications. In March, a White House post drew attention for apparently combining images of US military strikes against Iran with references to pop culture productions, including the manga and anime series "Yu-Gi-Oh!".
President Donald Trump talks to reporters before boarding Air Force One at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York in the early hours of Tuesday, June 9, 2026
AP/Mark Schiefelbein

Source: G1