Shares of GameStop Corp. surged by more than seven percent in pre-market trading on Monday following a social-media move by the The White House.

The administration’s official X account reshared a post from GameStop’s X account that featured an artificial-intelligence-generated image of Donald Trump clad in the armour of the video-game character Master Chief, accompanied by GameStop’s slogan “Power to the Players.”

The retail group’s original weekend post declared “the console wars are over,” referencing the announcement by Microsoft Corporation that its flagship Xbox game franchise Halo will be released on rival PlayStation 5 for the first time.

The White House meme referenced that message and its sub-text, celebrating the end of exclusivity in the gaming console competition.

Press-quote data show GameStop shares climbing to roughly US $25.03—up around 7.4 percent—as markets opened.

The move is notable for the convergence of government communication, internet culture and market reaction.

Analysts said that the White House’s formal repost of a private-sector meme represents a novel form of official endorsement, particularly when it triggers investor attention in a company long known as the archetype of so-called “meme stocks.” GameStop’s stock has seen heightened volatility since its dramatic surge in early 2021, driven by retail-trader fervour.

Market observers also pointed out that the timing of the meme amplification—on a Sunday night before Monday trading—may have amplified its effect by catching algorithmic and retail‐investor flows ahead of regular hours.

While GameStop’s core business remains subject to structural challenges, the image-driven uptick illustrates how social-media momentum and narrative gambits continue to influence equity prices.

For its part, the White House has in recent months embraced generative artificial intelligence as a tool for public messaging, and officials said the “Master Chief Trump” image forms part of its broader effort to engage younger audiences and digital-native communities.

Some commentators say the campaign blurs traditional lines between policy, culture and capital markets, though regulatory and ethical debates are now emerging.

With the stock rally still in early hours, financial commentators cautioned that a sustained fundamental turnaround for GameStop has yet to materialise and that such moves may reflect sentiment more than structural business improvement.

Nonetheless, the event underscores how retail investor-driven stocks can respond not just to company earnings or macro­economics—but to emblematic images and official amplification alike.