‘Gotta Catch ‘Em All’: There’s Clearly a Pokémon Fan in Trump’s DHS, And It’s Riling Up Leftists
The article discusses how the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has creatively used the popular Pokémon franchise to promote its work on social media. DHS shared posts on X (formerly twitter) that included the original Pokémon theme song and slogan, “Gotta Catch ‘Em All,” and also pokémon-style trading cards featuring mug shots and alleged crimes of detained Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) suspects. This approach garnered attention for its tongue-in-cheek blending of nostalgic ’90s Pokémon culture with serious law enforcement messaging.
The article notes that Pokémon is a globally accomplished multimedia franchise owned by Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures Inc., famous for its video games, cards, and shows about capturing and battling mystical creatures. Some fans expressed outrage at DHS’s use of Pokémon imagery, calling for legal action against what thay viewed as copyright infringement. However, a former chief legal officer for The Pokémon Company explained that the company is likely to avoid litigation because it prefers to stay out of the spotlight and many of its U.S.executives are on green cards. He suggested the controversy would soon fade without further action.
If you’ve never heard of the multimedia franchise Pokémon, you are truly disconnected from this world (and this writer means that in the most complimentary way possible).
The Pokémon franchise, co-owned by Nintendo, Game Freak and Creatures Inc., is the most valuable media franchise in the world, and has become a worldwide phenomena. Between the video games, toys, television shows, movies, trading cards and music, Pokémon is as ubiquitous as McDonald’s and Starbucks — if not even more so.
So it shouldn’t be a surprise that there is at least one huge Pokémon fan currently working in President Donald Trump’s Department of Homeland Security.
What may be a surprise to you is how effectively this Pokémon supporter is utilizing his or her fandom.
On Monday, the DHS dropped an X post that lifted the entire theme song to the original Pokémon anime, alongside the original Pokémon slogan, “Gotta Catch ‘Em All”:
Gotta Catch ‘Em All. pic.twitter.com/qCvflkJGmB
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) September 22, 2025
(For the unaware, Pokémon is a video game based around people capturing and training mystical pets/monsters to fight other mystical pets/monsters. For the cynical, yes, Pokémon is essentially a video game about glorified cockfighting.)
Oh, but DHS wasn’t just done after dredging up a core ’90s memory for many millennials.
The DHS X account then decided to riff on Pokémon’s popular trading cards. But whereas those cards would include some colorful art, stats, and “battle abilities,” these DHS versions were … a little less whimsical:
https://t.co/drRpouW3h8 pic.twitter.com/EiC5lU1pi9
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) September 22, 2025
https://t.co/drRpouVvrA pic.twitter.com/iYEJ7QZ2hr
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) September 22, 2025
https://t.co/drRpouVvrA pic.twitter.com/Ii7DzoD4pf
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) September 22, 2025
https://t.co/drRpouVvrA pic.twitter.com/XBuZ4UUxRk
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) September 22, 2025
https://t.co/drRpouW3h8 pic.twitter.com/AU9vsgOfIH
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) September 22, 2025
Yes, those are Pokémon-ified alleged criminals that had been detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Instead of colorful art, they’re mostly mug shots. And instead of “battle abilities,” they’re mostly a rundown of what type of heinous crime the suspect committed.
It’s all a wonderfully tongue-in-cheek way of touting ICE’s accomplishments, with a bit of Nintendo flair thrown in.
Oh, and speaking of the Big N, it’s clear this DHS Pokémon fan has struck a few nerves with these posts.
As IGN outlined, swarms of upset (and presumably anti-Trump) Pokémon fans are clamoring for the notoriously litigious Nintendo to sue DHS for copyright infringement, or something along those lines.
Just two problems, as The Pokémon Company’s former “trigger-happy” chief legal officer Don McGowan outlined to IGN.
“I don’t see [the Pokémon owners] doing anything about this for a few reasons,” McGowan said. “First, think of how little you see [The Pokémon Company International]’s name in the press. They are INSANELY publicity-shy and prefer to let the brand be the brand.”
“Second, many of their execs in the USA are on green cards,” he added. “Even if I was still at the company I wouldn’t touch this, and I’m the most trigger-happy CLO [Chief Legal Officer] I’ve ever met.
“This will blow over in a couple of days and they’ll be happy to let it.”
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