House of Cards, the TV show dramatising life in American politics, released an ominous preview of its latest season an hour before US President Donald Trump's inauguration.

The Netflix series advertised season five of its show with a 30-second clip showing the US flag flying upside down – a distress signal – before zooming out to a gloomy, overcast sky overshadowing the US Capitol building.

It featured children chanting the iconic American Pledge of Allegiance with the tag, "We make the terror".

The quote is from the final episode of season four where President Frank Underwood manipulates a hostage situation, ending with terrorists cutting the throat of an American, because the fear the video will create will increase his chances of re-election.

House of Cards, starring Kevin Spacey as Underwood, is known for its dark portrayal of the presidency, with assassinations, dirty deals and black mail all a part of everyday politics.

Robin Wright will return as First Lady Claire Underwood and Michael Kelly as Doug Stamper – two of the show's other ruthless, yet intriguing characters.

It is not clear how much of season five will touch upon the Trump administration. However, the show is known for adapting real-life events.

Season three focussed on US-Russia relations, which is a pervasive theme in current political debate and is expected to play a significant role in Trump's presidency.

The most recent series is to be released on 30 March, according to the show's advert.

This will be the first season without showrunner Beau Willimon, following the appointment of producers Melissa James Gibson and Frank Pugliese.

House of Cards, based on the BBC miniseries, began in 2013 and has aired every year since.