Donald Trump and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) are digging deep into HBO archives—and even borrowing some of the Caped Crusader’s iconic lines—to pitch themselves as America’s great defenders.

In videos posted over the past two days on the White House and DHS social media feeds, the media-savvy administration uses footage of Paul Giamatti from the 2008 *John Adams* miniseries, a pivotal monologue, and a classic Nirvana tune featured in 2022’s *The Batman*.

### Revisiting History with Paul Giamatti

One video, titled “The last best hope of man on Earth,” includes a close-up of Giamatti in his Emmy-winning role as the USA’s second president. If precedent is any guide, it’s doubtful that Team Trump sought permission for the footage. When contacted by Deadline for clarification, the White House declined to comment.

Showing that there’s nothing like MAGA overkill, the 40-second spot also features an abundance of George Washington imagery—including a historically questionable 2010 Dodge Challenger ad. Alongside POTUS #1, the video highlights mainly white men, with few exceptions.

### Visuals and Themes in the “Last Best Hope” Video

The montage is packed with images of Trump (sometimes placed in sci-fi-like settings), Teddy Roosevelt, Thomas Edison, violent Western frontier conquest scenes, NASA astronauts on the moon, Abraham Lincoln (both the monument and the man), military hardware in action, and a fiercely staring eagle.

Interestingly, the video includes multiple shots of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem (noted for being a South Park subject). And, true to the Trump administration’s flair for the dramatic, Bigfoot even makes a cameo appearance.

### DHS Uses ‘The Batman’ Footage and Soundtrack

In a separate DHS post, Robert Pattinson’s vengeance-soaked dialogue from Matt Reeves’ *The Batman* is set against images of masked and heavily armed Border Patrol agents storming streets and making arrests, including at Home Depots.

“Fear is a tool,” a voice that sounds very much like Pattinson’s says in the DHS video, which was also posted on Instagram by the U.S. Border Patrol and their prominent figure, Greg Bovino.

“They think I’m hiding in the shadows, but I am the shadows,” continues the voiceover, mirroring the lines from *The Batman*. The post closes with a camera-ready Commander Bovino looking out into the night, implying he might be the “shadow” the narration refers to. Notably, Bovino was recently called out by a federal judge over lying about the Customs and Border Protection’s use-of-force methods.

### Authoritarian Undertones and Reappropriated Iconography

Batman’s crime-fighting approach has long featured authoritarian undertones, as Christopher Nolan’s films made clear. However, this DHS video doubles down heavily on those aspects, even reappropriating the Bat Signal to accompany the film’s narration.

For those still missing the *The Batman* connection, the video also features the Kurt Cobain-penned song “Something in the Way” from Nirvana’s seminal 1991 *Nevermind* album—a tune repeatedly used in the movie.

### Copyright Concerns and Public Response

Warner Bros. Discovery did not respond to inquiries about the use of its copyrighted content by the Trump administration when contacted over the weekend. Despite the company’s silence—and the fact it is currently for sale—the pitches don’t appear to be resonating strongly with the audience.

The “last best hope” post has garnered just over 22,600 likes in 48 hours, which is comparatively low. For context, a Fox Sports clip posted about an hour ago featuring Trump speaking about swearing in new members of the military during the Washington Commanders vs. Detroit Lions game has already amassed over 35,000 likes.

Meanwhile, the DHS *Batman*-inspired video has only attracted just over 2,400 likes as of Sunday afternoon—low engagement by any standard.

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In summary, the Trump administration and DHS’s use of historical footage, pop culture references, and heavy symbolism aims to position themselves as protectors of America’s security, but the public response suggests these efforts may have fallen flat.
https://deadline.com/2025/11/trump-batman-nirvana-john-adams-footage-use-1236612300/