--- title: Trump Tweeted a Game of Thrones Meme. HBO Disapproved. description: A Game of Thrones meme tweeted by President trump was met with near-instant criticism from HBO and cast members. canonical: https://time.com/5443319/trump-game-of-thrones-meme/ author: Ashley Hoffman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-11-02T19:44:10.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:47:12.395Z og:title: Game of Thrones Cast Rejects Trump's Game of Thrones Meme og:description: HBO and cast members were quick to react og:url: https://time.com/5443319/trump-game-of-thrones-meme/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt892252a0c5fd94e5/69892fde8fd2ee4cd335b8e3/president-donald-trump-iran-deal-emmanuel-macron-nuclear.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2405 og:image:height: 1353 og:image:alt: president-donald-trump-iran-deal-emmanuel-macron-nuclear og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Game of Thrones Cast Rejects Trump's Game of Thrones Meme twitter:description: HBO and cast members were quick to react twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt892252a0c5fd94e5/69892fde8fd2ee4cd335b8e3/president-donald-trump-iran-deal-emmanuel-macron-nuclear.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # The President Used a _Game of Thrones_ Meme. The Cast Wasn't Having It > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME The Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition The Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors. The Brief brings TIME's perspective to the day's most important stories, helping readers understand not just what is happening, but why it matters. It combines original reporting and analysis with the best of TIME, spanning politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. 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It curates the day's top headlines with TIME's reporting and analysis across politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. It is free to join at time.com/newsletters. #### How do I sign up for The Brief? The Brief is available free at time.com/newsletters, where readers can select it along with any of TIME's other six newsletters. There is no subscription required to receive it. #### Is The Brief free? Yes. The Brief is a free daily email newsletter from TIME. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes The Brief? The Brief is led by editor Richard Hall and draws on reporting from TIME's newsroom. Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically. ## Video: Game of Thrones Exclusive: A Family "Dinner" [Watch (HLS stream): Game of Thrones Exclusive: A Family "Dinner"](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/jngv6XFc.m3u8) (1:32)  _Published 2017-06-28. Fashion photographer Miles Aldridge captures startling renaissance inspired photographs for TIME's Game of Thrones issue._ by [Ashley Hoffman](https://time.com/author/ashley-hoffman/) ## Ashley Hoffman Nov 2, 2018 7:44 PM UTC  President Donald Trump announces that the United States will withdraw from the 2015 accord to curb Iran's nuclear program in the White House in Washington, D.C., on May 8, 2018. President Donald Trump announces that the United States will withdraw from the 2015 accord to curb Iran's nuclear program in the White House in Washington, D.C., on May 8, 2018. © 2018 Bloomberg Finance LP by [Ashley Hoffman](https://time.com/author/ashley-hoffman/) ## Ashley Hoffman Nov 2, 2018 7:44 PM UTC President [Donald Trump](http://time.com/5414597/trump-iran-amity-treaty/) invoked _Game of Thrones_ on Twitter Friday to promote his Administration’s announcement on reimposing sanctions on Iran. Appearing to take inspiration from the HBO series’ golden letters, ominous grey sky and signature tagline (“Winter is coming”), Trump took to Twitter to say “Sanctions Are Coming,” referencing an earlier announcement by the Trump Administration that it would reimpose all U.S. sanctions on Iran that had been lifted through the 2015 nuclear deal from when Barack Obama was President. HBO responded quickly in statement released to [_Entertainment Weekly_](https://ew.com/tv/2018/11/02/trump-game-of-thrones/)_,_ saying, “We were not aware of this messaging and would prefer our trademark not be misappropriated for political purposes.” Maisie Williams, who plays Arya Stark on the show, was also quick to comment, tweeting “Not today.” Sophie Turner, who plays Sansa Stark on _Game of Thrones_, commented with a simple “Ew.” > [](https://twitter.com/Maisie%5FWilliams/status/1058411693775171585) > [](https://twitter.com/SophieT/status/1058415804641767424) Creators and several cast members from the show have made their feelings about the President known in the past. “I think Joffrey is now the king in America,” George R.R. Martin, who created the books on which the show is based, told [_Entertainment Weekly_](https://ew.com/tv/2017/05/24/game-of-thrones-trump/) in 2017\. “And he’s grown up just as petulant and irrational as he was when he was 13 in the books.” Kit Harrington, who plays Jon Snow, once called the President a “[con artist](https://ew.com/tv/2017/05/24/game-of-thrones-trump/).” The President’s tweet follows his speech at the United Nations in September, when he called on world leaders to cut purchases of Iran’s oil. Friday’s news also marks the second round of sanctions the U.S. has reimposed since Trump announced in May that the U.S. would withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal, which had been a frequent target of critique from Trump before and during his presidency. The sanctions will affect finance, shipping and energy sectors in Iran, as well as, with limited exceptions, third-party countries that import Iranian oil or do business with Iranian financial institutions. For Trump’s detractors, the critical reactions were swift. > [](https://twitter.com/HBO/status/1058424663972478976) > [](https://twitter.com/ditzkoff/status/1058392262793707520) > [](https://twitter.com/deray/status/1058391203392176129) > [](https://twitter.com/PAYOLETTER/status/1058394542897094657) > [](https://twitter.com/CahnEmily/status/1058390201226149889) > [](https://twitter.com/jk%5Frowling/status/1058407562025058304) ## Transcript [ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] The dinners we have are definitely not that Well- mannered, with their little boosters and that. There's usually wine, and you're usually looking at each other as opposed to staring ahead. [ MUSIC ] It's difficult to not start laughing and making jokes. I mean, Peter, I mean it's impossible for him to take away two minutes without making some sort of funny observation. [ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] This group of people, I've been working with for eight years. It's been a roller coaster, it's been a ride. Each season, you feel closer and you feel sort of the club has just been going on for a while. [ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] [ BLANK_AUDIO ] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5443319/trump-game-of-thrones-meme/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5443319/trump-game-of-thrones-meme/"},"headline":"The President Used a Game of Thrones Meme. 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