White House Faces Backlash for Using NFL Stars in Iran Strike Video

0:00You're listening to NFL News Today, subscribe now for fast daily updates on your team. The White House stirred up controversy by using video clips of NFL Hall of Famers, Ed Reed and Ray Lewis in a social media post cheering U.S. strikes on Iran. The video mixed their old game highlights with footage of apparent missile attacks where Iranian officials report over 1,200 deaths from recent U.S. and Israeli actions. He was captioned touchdown in sets of the song, Thunderstruck. The clips show Lewis blocking during a 107-yard touchdown return in 2002 and re-delivering a big hit in 2004. No one from the White House contacted Lewis or Reed before posting it. This comes after they used misleading footage last month from a Navy ship sinking exercise in another high video. Ray Lewis is representative quickly pushed back, saying they do not agree and won him removed from the video. Ed Reed responded directly on social media, stating he does not approve the message.

1:00Both stars have criticized President Trump in the past over issues like NFL protests in Hurricane Relief. The White House has a pattern of using celebrity clips without permission, including singers and actors in other posts. They also featured old baseball highlights mixed with explosions in a separate wartime video last week. Officials have not clarified if the Iran footage shows real strikes and the White House has not commented yet. This backlash highlights ongoing questions about their social media tactics. This story is shared with support from our sponsor. Your favorite podcast, music or sleep sounds coming from your pillow. No earbuds, no distractions, just listen and relax. S-O-L-L-I, soleypillow.com