The White House has responded to criticism and public outcry regarding its recent memes, one of which featured an altered movie poster portraying Donald Trump as Superman.

In a post shared across its main social media accounts on Friday evening, the White House asserted: “Nowhere in the Constitution does it say we can’t post banger memes,” alongside an image of an announcement board stating, “OMG, did the White House really post this?” In response, one X user contended that such memes demonstrate “how unserious this Administration is.” The White House’s defiant stance was also disseminated via the official POTUS accounts across multiple platforms.

Earlier on Friday, the White House published an AI-modified image of California Democrat Rep. Jimmy Gomez, following his critique of an ICE raid on a marijuana farm. The post depicted him, labeling him “cryin’ Jimmy.” Many condemned the upload, with an Instagram user questioning: “Why is the official White House page making these kind[s] of comments?”

Meanwhile, on Thursday night, the White House social media team elicited widespread reactions, including mockery, after substituting an actor with Trump in a meme based on the new movie Superman poster. Where the original poster read “A James Gunn film” at the top, the Trump team’s version stated “A Trump presidency,” followed by the slogan: “Truth. Justice. The American Way.” The accompanying caption referred to “Superman Trump” as the “Symbol of hope.” This fabricated movie poster was prominent among numerous other posts addressing critical issues such as the Trump Administration’s border control policies and disaster relief efforts.

The White House’s venture into film-themed memes followed director James Gunn’s declaration that the superhero is, in essence, an immigrant, which angered conservative commentators. In an interview, Gunn stated: “I mean, Superman is the story of America. An immigrant that came from other places and populated the country, but for me it is mostly a story that says basic human kindness is a value and is something we have lost.”

Amidst Trump’s intensified immigration enforcement, leading to increased ICE raids nationwide, particularly in states like Texas and California, some conservative commentators and media outlets expressed displeasure with Gunn’s depiction of Superman, a native of the fictional planet Krypton, as an inspiring immigrant. Before the film’s debut, reports suggested that “Superman is going woke,” while Kellyanne Conway, who served as a White House counselor during Trump’s first term, commented on Fox News that audiences “don’t go to the movie theater to be lectured to” or to “have somebody throw their ideology onto us.”

Dean Cain, who portrayed Superman in the popular 1990s TV series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, also voiced opposition to Gunn’s interpretation of the character. He stated he believed it was “a mistake by James Gunn to say it’s an immigrant thing” and expressed worries that these remarks could affect the film’s commercial performance.

Conversely, others within the political sphere have consistently supported Gunn’s portrayal of the character.

“I’m a long time Superman fan, and I want to be clear: The Superman story is an immigration story of an outsider who tries to always do the most good,” stated a political commentator. “His arch nemesis is a billionaire. You don’t get to change who he is because you don’t like his story. Comics are political.”

Concurrently, California Governor Gavin Newsom and his administration have also entered the political discussion.

Newsom recently initiated legal action against the Trump Administration after military personnel and Marines were deployed to suppress immigration-related protests in Los Angeles without a request from the state Governor. Newsom and his office have vocally opposed the ICE raids Trump is directing in L.A. and across the state. Consequently, in response to the White House’s Trump-as-Superman meme, Newsom’s office commented: “Superman was an undocumented immigrant.”