Ahead of Donald Trump’s marathon State of the Union address, the White House released a high-energy cinematic montage on social media. The video, which spliced together iconic clips from various movies and television shows, was set to the rhythm of the Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper “Golden” by the group KPop Demon Hunters.
The administration’s latest attempt at viral marketing appeared designed to generate momentum for the 107-minute speech delivered on Tuesday, February 24. The clip leaned heavily into the President’s well-known affinity for “gold” motifs, framing the current political climate as the dawn of a new era. “WINNING IS BACK. America IS BACK. AND WE’RE JUST GETTING STARTED,” the caption read, punctuated by an eagle emoji. It further declared that “THE GOLDEN AGE IS HERE,” echoing the central theme of that evening’s address.
It remains unclear whether the White House obtained formal permission to feature “Golden” in the promotional material. Spokespeople for the administration and EJAE (Kim Eun-jae)—a member of the fictional group HUNTR/X and a co-writer of the track—did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The song, which became a global phenomenon through the most-watched film in Netflix history, dominated the charts last year, including an eight-week run at No. 1 on the Hot 100 and record-breaking residency on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart.
The “hype” video utilizes a rapid-fire succession of pop culture references. It opens with the classic Seinfeld moment where Kenny Bania exclaims, “That’s gold, Jerry!” followed by snippets from The Office, Dazed and Confused, Bruce Almighty, Modern Family, and The Waterboy. The montage concludes with Adam Sandler’s character in Happy Gilmore shouting, “You like that, baby? There’s more where that came from!”
Beyond projecting an atmosphere of triumph, the video was light on specific policy initiatives. This meme-heavy communications strategy has frequently drawn scrutiny, as the administration often utilizes popular copyrighted content without seeking the consent of the original creators or rights holders.
This incident is the latest in a long history of friction between the Trump administration and the music industry. In December, pop star Sabrina Carpenter issued a scathing rebuke after her song “Juno” was used in a post by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Carpenter described the association as “disgusting,” demanding that her music not be used to benefit an “inhumane agenda.” She joins a growing list of artists—including Beyoncé, Rihanna, Olivia Rodrigo, the Rolling Stones, and the Foo Fighters—who have publicly objected to their work being used for political purposes.
Legal challenges regarding these intellectual property rights continue to surface. Earlier this week, the estate of soul legend Isaac Hayes reached a confidential settlement with Trump to resolve litigation over the unauthorized use of the 1966 classic “Hold On, I’m Comin’.” In a statement, Isaac Hayes III noted that the resolution “reaffirms the importance of protecting intellectual property rights and copyrights,” specifically regarding the legacy and responsible use of creative works.
