The White House has joined in on the hype surrounding the Superman movie opening on Friday, July 11.
In a social media post on the eve of the comic book film’s highly anticipated debut, the White House social media team published an image of President Donald Trump in a Superman costume, replicating the promotional material for the movie.
The White House social media team accompanied the picture of Trump’s face on Superman’s body with several mottos from past iterations of the comic book character.
“The symbol of hope. Truth. Justice. The American Way. Superman Trump,” read the text from each post.
The famous “S” on Superman’s chest was described in a 2004 version of the hero’s comic book series as a family crest and “Kryptonian symbol” for hope. In comic lore, Krypton was the planet where Superman was born. In a scene from the 2013 film Man of Steel, in which Superman is talking with journalist and love interest Lois Lane, she asks him what the “S” stands for.
“It’s not an ‘S,’” Superman said. “On my world, it means hope.”
“Well, here, it’s an ‘S,’” Lane replied.
The motto, “truth, justice, and the American Way,” originated in a 1942 radio serial for the comic book character. It was meant to inspire patriotism as U.S. troops fought in World War II.
The marketing material for the 2025 film Superman does not include the well-known slogans and mottos. Instead, it features the words “Look Up.”
There is another noticeable difference between the social media post and the original imagery in the film’s promotional poster. In the White House’s version, the “S” on Trump’s chest is not the current version used in Superman. It seems to be the “S” from Christopher Reeve’s version of the character, made popular in the 1978 movie and subsequent sequels in the 1980s. However, this is not confirmed.
The White House’s post drew mixed reactions, seemingly along ideological lines.
Opponents of the Trump administration were critical of the imagery, with several calling it “embarrassing.”
The account for Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D-CA) press office posted, “Superman was an undocumented immigrant,” alluding to Trump’s political position and efforts to remove illegal immigrants from the country.
However, most Trump supporters who commented found the post amusing. This included former Superman actor Dean Cain, who portrayed the superhero in Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, which aired on ABC between 1993 and 1997, who commented with multiple laughing emojis.
SUPERMAN IS AN IMMIGRANT? HOLLYWOOD SUCCEEDS IN RUINING ANOTHER CLASSIC
Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster created Superman in 1938. The first movie featuring the comic book superhero was Superman, released in 1978 and starring Reeve. This franchise created three sequels. Other cinematic versions of Superman included Superman Returns in 2006 and Man of Steel in 2013, starring Brandon Routh and Henry Cavill, respectively.
Superman will be the fourth version of the superhero to hit the silver screen. It debuts on July 11 and features actor David Corenswet in the titular role.
