The Trump admin is so toxic, brands now have crisis responses for being used in propaganda

This story highlights a growing trend where the Trump administration's use of copyrighted brands and imagery in political messaging forces companies to publicly distance themselves from government propaganda. It matters because it shows how politically toxic associations can create reputational risk for consumer brands, pushing them into crisis communications territory they never anticipated needing.

• Brands like Hasbro and Tetris had their intellectual property used without permission in government messaging, prompting public clarification of their values.
• Companies are increasingly forced to issue crisis responses to disassociate from political content, a new and unusual challenge for corporate communications teams.
• The trend reflects broader concerns about copyright infringement and the reputational risks businesses face when their brands are linked to controversial political propaganda.