Ed Reed and Ray Lewis are pushing back after the White House used their NFL highlights in a war-themed social media video tied to the administration’s messaging around Iran.
The White House video, captioned “Touchdown,” stitched together football highlights and battlefield footage while AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” played in the background. One sequence shows Lewis throwing a key block during a Baltimore Ravens special teams play that helped set up a 100-plus-yard touchdown return.
Another clip features Reed delivering a hard hit on an opposing player during a Ravens game against the Colts. Those NFL moments were cut together with video shared by U.S. Central Command showing missiles dropping on targets and explosions in Iran, where 1,200 people have reportedly been killed in U.S.-Israeli strikes over the last few weeks.
Reed made his position clear after journalist Ben Jacobs flagged the video on X. The Hall of Fame safety replied: “I do not approve this message.”
Lewis, through a representative, also objected to being included. In a statement reported by HuffPost, his representative said, “This is something we do not agree with and would like Ray to be removed.”
The backlash comes as the White House faces broader criticism for posting stylized war content that blends real combat footage with sports, movies and video game imagery. The administration has released multiple hype-style videos about the conflict with Iran, including montages using clips from films such as Top Gun, Braveheart, and Tropic Thunder alongside real strike footage.
That strategy has already drawn objections from other public figures.
Ben Stiller publicly condemned the White House for using Tropic Thunder footage, writing that “War is not a movie,” while SZA, Sabrina Carpenter, Kesha, and others have also objected to the administration using their work without permission in politically charged posts.
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