Former NFL players are speaking out after the White House shared a video montage splicing football highlights with U.S. military strikes on Iran.
The March 6 montage included clips and pro and college collisions followed by footage of bombings — all set to AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck.” It comes as the White House continues to share videos of pop culture moments mixed with real footage from the war in Iran, blurring the line between the war and entertainment.
Like many of the other subjects featured in the White House’s recent spate of bizarre videos about the conflict in Iran, some football players have taken issue with the post, including 34-year-old former University of Nebraska receiver Kenny Bell.
“For that play to be associated with bombing human beings makes me sick,” Bell, now retired from pro football, told the Washington Post. “I don’t want anything to do with images like that.”
Ray Lewis and Ed Reed, both of whom played for the Baltimore Ravens, condemned the video, according to the Post. Reed took to X to write, “I do not approve this message.”
Another player shown in the video, Mason Foster, who was a linebacker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was shocked to learn about the video, having deleted his social media accounts.
“I’m at a loss for words,” Foster told the Post. “It’s a strange feeling, seeing those clips like that. I don’t think anything going on in the world today is as simple as a great football play or a hit. I’m still wrapping my head around it.”
“When people are losing their lives, I don’t think it can compare to a game,” he added.
Both Bell and Foster told the newspaper they think the White House should take down the video.
“I don’t think I’m even allowed to use that clip, because I don’t own it,” Bell said. “So I would like the NFL, the networks, to treat the White House like they’d treat me. To re-install some faith in these institutions, you have to start holding our leaders accountable.”
The NFL is generally protective of its copyrighted material online and has previously gone after accounts on X, including those of news outlets, over unauthorized use of its material, per the Post. The Independent has contacted the NFL for comment.
The White House has made similar videos featuring other sports, including baseball and bowling, as well as TV shows, movies and video games. The famous sporting moments and memorable pop culture references are often spliced with deadly strikes.
When asked about this particular video, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told The Independent: “Under the decisive leadership of President Trump, America’s heroic warfighters are meeting or surpassing all of their goals under Operation Epic Fury. The legacy media wants us to apologize for highlighting the United States Military’s incredible success, but the White House will continue showcasing the many examples of Iran’s ballistic missiles, production facilities, and dreams of owning a nuclear weapon being destroyed in real time.”
Bell expressed concern over the normalization of violence on social media— particularly the bombings from the conflict in the Middle East, which have left more than 1,300 dead in Iran.
“I think it is very important to draw the line somewhere and this video is a really good example of where to draw the line,” Bell told the paper. “The killing of people is something that’s very, very serious and should not be taken lightly.”
“It scares me for our society that you can be scrolling through social media looking at dog photos and suddenly you’re seeing someone blown up,” he said.
Several other public figures, ranging from comedian Ben Stiller to voice actor Steve Downes, have also called on the White House to remove their respective clips from the war videos.
