White House pulls Tetris-style Build the Wall game

The White House has removed a Tetris-style game called “Build the Wall” from its website after The Tetris Company publicly raised concerns about copyright infringement, leaving other MAGA-themed arcade games online.

The game, part of a slate of video games tied to President Donald Trump’s agenda, had players stack “bricks” to build a wall along the southern border. Its introduction told users to “hold the line” against a “zombie border siege,” according to NBC News. The BBC reported that the game asked players to build a wall to “protect the border.”

The Tetris Company said on X on Sept. 4 that it “was not involved in the creation” of the game and takes “copyright infringement very seriously.”

“At Tetris we believe in the power of connection and bringing people together, not dividing them,” the company said in an online statement quoted by NBC News. “To our fans everywhere: we love you, we see you, and we’re grateful to have you in our community.” The BBC quoted the company as saying it believes in “building people together, not dividing them.”

An archived version of the White House website saved by the Wayback Machine showed the game remained online as of Monday afternoon and disappeared Tuesday, NBC News reported. The White House has not given an official reason for the takedown and did not respond to requests for comment from NBC News or the BBC. The Tetris Company also did not immediately respond to NBC News’ request for comment on the removal.

Four other arcade games remain on the White House website, according to the BBC. NBC News reported that the remaining games also mirror popular existing games. “Rio Run” instructs players to “patrol the line along the river” and “pick up every crosser,” with gameplay resembling Snake. The BBC reported that when players run into the edge of the map, a “Deported” number shows how many people the player caught. Another game, “Flappy Bill,” resembles Flappy Bird and has players guide a bald eagle while trying to “keep the bill in the air while flying through monuments.”

The games have drawn criticism from politicians. Connecticut Democratic state Sen. Matt Lesser wrote on X, according to the BBC: “Heating oil is near an all-time high but hey you can play Border Tsar Tom Homan in a video game.”

The White House also promoted the arcade page with videos resembling well-known video game company branding, NBC News reported. One used a modified version of the Xbox startup animation. Another changed Sega’s startup animation and sound to “MAGA.” A third directly mimicked the Nintendo GameCube startup.

On Tuesday, the White House posted a video on X resembling Nintendo’s “The Legend of Zelda,” with an introduction screen reading “The Legend of Trump” and “Make America Great Again.” NBC News reported that the video featured the game’s logo and font and used a song from the game. Nintendo, Sega and Xbox did not immediately respond to NBC News’ requests for comment.

The arcade section is one of several examples of the Trump administration using video game or pop culture references in political messaging. The BBC reported that the official White House X account posted an AI-generated image in October 2025 of Trump in a suit from the video game Halo, and in March posted a video mixing footage of U.S. military strikes in Iran with film and TV clips and a line from Halo’s Master Chief. The BBC said Steve Downes, the voice actor for Master Chief, condemned the post in a now-deleted tweet.

NBC News reported that the White House has also used copyrighted songs in political videos, sometimes prompting artists to object. In December, Kids Can Press condemned Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s post depicting Franklin the Turtle in combat gear, saying it “strongly condemn[s] any denigrating, violent, or unauthorized use of Franklin’s name or image.” That same month, Sabrina Carpenter criticized the White House for using one of her songs in a video showing Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers detaining people, calling it “evil and disgusting” and saying, “Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda.”