NEWSWhite House Gives Nicole Kidman's AMC Ad a MAGA Remix in Latest Pop Culture Spoof
The White House released a MAGA-themed remake of Nicole Kidman's AMC Theatres ad.
Aug. 8 2026, Published 8:24 a.m. ET
The White House has found its latest pop culture template: Nicole Kidman’s instantly recognizable AMC Theatres ad.
On August 3, the administration posted a video captioned, “Silence your cellphones. Sit back. Welcome to the golden age.” The minute-long clip appears to model itself on the AMC spot that has played before movie screenings since 2021, swapping Kidman’s movie-theater reverence for a MAGA-themed walk through the White House.
A Theater Ad Gets a Political Rewrite
The White House video reimagined the famous commercial with political messaging.
The original AMC commercial follows Kidman as she enters a theater in the rain and declares, “We come to this place for magic.”
In the White House version, a faceless figure in a hoodie and red “Make America Great Again” hat steps toward the White House after a puddle reflection shot similar to the theater ad’s opening image. Inside, he passes Trump imagery and watches projected footage of the president signing executive orders, speaking at rallies and appearing with world leaders.
“We come to this place for MAGA,” the narrator says.
The video also riffs on one of the AMC ad’s most quoted lines. Kidman famously says, “Somehow, heartbreak feels good in a place like this.” The White House version counters with, “A country where we don’t do heartbreak — we do victory.”
The clip ends with a MAGA title card styled after AMC branding and the phrase, “Welcome to the golden age.”
Hollywood Keeps Getting Pulled In
The White House also used a scene from ‘The Odyssey’ featuring Anne Hathaway and Robert Pattinson in a TikTok video.
The Kidman ad has already had a second life as a camp object, with Saturday Night Live parodying it in 2022 through Chloe Fineman’s Kidman impression. The White House version lands differently because it came from an official government account, not a comedy show.
The timing also put the video next to a major box-office moment. AMC had just recorded the highest-earning weekend in its 106-year history, boosted by the summer blockbusters Spider-Man: Brand New Day and The Odyssey.
The White House has repeatedly folded recognizable entertainment material into political videos. In July, its official TikTok account used a scene from The Odyssey with Anne Hathaway and Robert Pattinson to cast Trump as the “king” of the United States.
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The parody sparked renewed criticism of the official government accounts' use of pop culture in political messaging.
The administration’s pop-culture posts have drawn objections from musicians whose work has appeared in White House content.
Ariana Grande objected in June after her song “bye” was used in a TikTok video showing ICE arrests. “Please do not ever use my music in relation to this barbaric, inhumane, heinous nonsense. F--- ICE,” she wrote.
Artists Push Back
Olivia Rodrigo was among several artists who criticized the White House over its use of their music.
Olivia Rodrigo made a similar complaint after “All-American B---h” appeared in an ICE-related video. “Don’t ever use my songs to promote your racist, hateful propaganda,” she said.
Noah Kahan also rejected the use of his music in July, writing, “Would never approve of my music being used in support of you or this administration.”
