Characters and events in fantasy series “Game of Thrones” have long drawn comparisons to real-world politics.
But the show’s home network HBO would prefer that “GoT” motifs veer away from actual politicians after United States President Donald Trump made a reference to the show.
On Nov. 3, Trump shared a portrait of himself with overlaid text using a font similar to the one used in the series.
The message, “Sanctions are coming,” seemed to be inspired by the show’s famous tagline “Winter is coming.”
Image: Twitter/@realDonaldTrump
According to the White House’s official Twitter account on Nov. 2, Trump is set to reimpose economic and trade sanctions against Iran, which it described as a “corrupt regime.”
About two hours after the president’s tweet, HBO’s official account tweeted, “How do you say trademark misuse in Dothraki?” Dothraki is one of the fictional languages from the show.
How do you say trademark misuse in Dothraki?
— HBO (@HBO) November 2, 2018
The network, through business news channel CNBC, spoke further about Trump’s post.
“We were not aware of this messaging and would prefer our trademark not be misappropriated for political purposes.” spokesperson Jeff Cuson said, adding that the network will not take further steps on the matter, including legal action.
Actress Sophie Turner responded to Trump’s tweet with a simple message: “Ew.”
When the books’ author George R.R. Martin was asked to compare a politician to a character in the series, he noted that Trump’s equivalent was teenage King Joffrey Baratheon.
“They have the same level of emotional maturity,” he said in an October interview with the New York Times. “He thinks the presidency gives him the power to do anything.” Niña V. Guno/JB
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