The NFL asked the Department of Homeland Security to take down a social media post featuring Eagles legend Brian Dawkins to promote the immigration enforcement efforts of President Donald Trump’s administration.
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The official DHS X account responded to a post on Sunday by Leading Report, a conservative-leaning misinformation outlet, about a purported migrant caravan heading toward the U.S. border with a montage of the Eagles Hall of Famer’s iconic tunnel walkout entrance. Korn’s “Blind” can be heard playing in the background.
DHS captioned the post, “Our time has come.”
A DHS spokesperson said it used Dawkins in its post because “DHS is playing lockdown defense at the border.” On Monday, the NFL said it requested that DHS remove the post from its social media accounts.
“We have requested DHS take down the video,” Brian McCarthy, a spokesperson for the NFL, said.
Dawkins, who played for the Eagles from 1996 to 2008, was known for leading the team onto the field before games in a menacing “Weapon X” entrance, in which he would run on his hands and feet like X-Men character Wolverine, ready to eviscerate the opposing team’s offense.
In a video shared on social media Monday afternoon, Dawkins said he did not authorize the Trump administration to use his highlights to promote their immigration agenda.
“I did not give permission for my name, image, and likeness to be used by anybody, all right? By anybody,” Dawkins said.
The video of Dawkins’ entrance implied DHS and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement would take aggressive action against the migrant caravan. DHS said it has been tracking the group of about 600 people since it left San Pedro Sula, Honduras, on Sept. 20.
Dawkins is not the first ex-NFL star to be featured in the Trump administration’s increasingly meme-centered presence on social media. The White House’s official X account posted a highlight reel in March of bone-crushing tackles in NFL history, including Eagles cornerback Sheldon Brown’s hit against rookie Reggie Bush, edited to include footage of real drone strikes conducted by the U.S. military in Iran.
Musical acts like Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Rodrigo, and Kenny Loggins have seen their music be used in official government posts, including with videos of ICE agents arresting immigrants. The White House has also used popular video game characters like Mario and Halo’s Master Chief to promote Trump policies.
Trump taxpayer-funded TV ads
The Dawkins social media post follows the White House’s use of taxpayer funds to air a television ad centering Trump before the midterms. The ad that aired in at least two NFL game broadcasts on Sunday, according to CNN, features Donald Trump walking through a hallway declaring “this is the final battle.” At the end of the commercial, a disclosure reads “Paid for by the U.S. Government,” which drew criticism from both sides of the aisle.
Sen. Andy Kim (D., N.J.) questioned how much taxpayer money was spent on the ad on Sunday. “Trump has overseen the most corrupt administration in modern history, making billions of dollars for him and his friends, while your costs go up,” he said in a social media post.
Sen. John Kennedy (R., La.) in an interview on CBS’s Face the Nation said no public official should spend public money on private ads for themselves. “The White House sees differently, but you can’t spend money to promote yourself.”
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