HBO and stars of the network’s hit fantasy drama “Game of Thrones” are not pleased that President Donald Trump invoked the show in a tweet.
On Friday, Trump tweeted a meme that said “Sanctions Are Coming,” inspired by the show’s ubiquitous “Winter Is Coming” tag line. The tweet was meant to announce that the U.S. will re-impose sanctions on Iran on Monday, after Trump’s decision to withdraw from the nuclear deal brokered by the Obama administration.
“We were not aware of this messaging and would prefer our trademark not be misappropriated for political purposes,” HBO said in a statement responding to Trump’s tweet.
The network and at least two of the show’s stars also expressed their disapproval on Twitter.
George R.R. Martin, the author of the book series on which the show is based, responded with a meme of his own, urging voters to go to the polls for next Tuesday’s midterms.
The meme from Martin, an outspoken critic of Trump, reads: “Fear cuts deeper than swords.”
This post has been updated.