You can tell a lot about an empire by the type of propaganda it produces.

From the promises it makes to loyalists, to the threats it issues against dissenters, propaganda is the lifeblood of authoritarian power. It controls narratives, rewrites history in real-time, diverts attention from state failures, and manufactures consent. In Trump’s second term, this propaganda has taken a new shape—one that merges fascist ideology with meme culture, internet slang, and Gen Z humor.

The goal? To make hate go viral.

What we’re seeing isn’t just spin—it’s a campaign to normalize anti-immigrant racism, dehumanize non-white people, and coat it all in a layer of irony thick enough to deflect criticism. It’s not about winning hearts; it’s about desensitizing them.

Below are four examples of how the White House is using social media to advance this new era of fascist propaganda:

1. “Illegal Alien” Deportation ASMR

In one chilling video, the White House released what they called a “Deportation ASMR” post. It features shackled migrants being herded onto a deportation flight. No music. No narration. Just the sound of chains clinking and bodies shuffling.

ASMR is typically used for relaxation. The format is beloved for calming people with soft-spoken sounds and soothing scenarios. Repurposing it to present ICE enforcement as “therapeutic” is more than tone-deaf—it’s cruel. It’s a grotesque attempt to find calm in the systematic suffering of others.

And make no mistake: this isn’t just poor taste—it’s propaganda with teeth. It aims to desensitize the public, frame ICE as an inevitable force of peace, and rebrand the trauma of deportation as a kind of national self-care.

2. Deportation Valentines

Another example came on Valentine’s Day, when the White House posted a meme that read: “Roses are red, violets are blue, come here illegally and we’ll deport you.”

This isn’t just an edgy joke—it’s the state using Hallmark-style humor to justify a brutal immigration system.

The punchline obscures a darker truth: many detainees aren’t even undocumented immigrants. They’re pro-Palestinian activists. Some are European nationals. One man was detained over a tattoo promoting autism awareness. ICE doesn’t discriminate based on rhyme schemes—it targets whoever is politically inconvenient.

This “jokey” veneer masks Gestapo-like tactics and makes the public complicit in laughing off human rights abuses. The Trump administration isn’t just deploying policy—they’re building a culture of gleeful cruelty.

3. Mugshot Carousel of “Criminal” Immigrants

Pinned to the top of the White House Instagram page is a carousel post showcasing the mugshots of arrested immigrants. Each image lists the person’s name, their alleged crimes—ranging from gang affiliations to rape to terrorism—and the location where they were detained.

But the list includes more than hardened criminals. It also features Mahmoud Khalil, a graduate student and Palestinian protestor. It includes Virginia Basora-Gonzalez, whose supposed crime of trafficking fentanyl is turned into a Studio Ghibli-style meme, complete with her tear-streaked face run through an AI image generator.

The message is clear: the face of crime is brown, Muslim, immigrant—and sometimes just inconvenient to American-Israeli foreign policy.

The comments under these posts are flooded with racist, fatphobic, and transphobic jokes. That’s not a byproduct of the content. That’s the goal. This isn’t justice. It’s a spectacle. And it’s working.

4. “Closing Time” Border Patrol Video

The White House also posted a video showing a handcuffed man being patted down at an airport, set to the tune of Semisonic’s nostalgic hit “Closing Time.” The caption read:

The band, horrified, immediately disavowed the post. “The song is about joy and possibilities and hope,” they wrote. “They missed the point entirely.”

But the administration didn’t miss the point. They made one. When pressed about the video, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, “Our entire government clearly is leaning into the message of this president.” U.S. Customs and Border Protection even reposted it with the caption: “It’s closing time. We are making America safe again.”

This isn’t an accident. It’s pop culture weaponized to sanitize state violence—cherry-picking upbeat 90s nostalgia to whitewash fear, intimidation, and legal overreach.

A Tale of Two Propaganda Machines

Scroll through the Trump White House’s social media and you’ll see two parallel realities.

One presents a cinematic vision of America: slow-motion flags, golden hour lighting, orchestral scores, and speeches that feel ripped from a football movie’s final act. It’s polished. Heroic. Patriotic. A fantasy of honor and trust.

But the other is raw, nasty, and gleefully evil. It’s the bully in the 80s movie—the one who shoves kids in lockers and laughs about it. It’s racist, transphobic, and fully self-aware, yet proud of it. There is no longer a need to appear “professional.” That façade has been dropped. In its place is a propaganda machine that leans into villainy, turning cruelty into content and laughter into complicity.

When we look back on this era, as we do with past empires, it won’t just be the policies we remember—it’ll be the propaganda.

Obama had Yes We Can. Trump had MAGA.
Now? He has memes, mugshots, and a digital army trained to meme fascism into popularity.

And if this is just the beginning of term two, the future of American propaganda looks less like a press briefing—and more like a shitpost.

Stories On My Radar

1. Masked ICE Agents Abduct Immigrant Students Across the Country

Across the U.S., immigrants and student activists—especially those speaking out for Palestine—are being abducted by federal agents operating like a secret police force. In Memphis, plainclothes men wearing masks and offering no identification snatched restaurant workers off the street. No warrants. No paperwork. No explanation. ICE confirmed the raid days later, but without surveillance footage, the victims would’ve simply vanished.

This isn’t an isolated incident. At Tufts University, PhD student Rumeysa Ozturk—on a valid student visa—was kidnapped by six masked agents while walking to iftar. She asked to call the police. They replied, “We are the police.” She was thrown into an unmarked car and taken across state lines despite a court order barring her removal.

Activists Mahmoud Khalil and Yunseo Chung have also been targeted. ICE agents ignored court protections, detained them without charges, and transported them to remote facilities with no communication or due process. All were doxxed for their pro-Palestine views before being seized.

ICE is acting as a rogue arm of the government—evading legal oversight, silencing dissent, and criminalizing protest. There are no badges, no warnings, and no accountability. Just vans, masks, and fear. This is not immigration enforcement. It’s political repression.

2. Is Conor McGregor Trying to Buy an Election?

Trump: "We don't want criminals and r*pists coming into our country!"

Also Trump: A r*pist from America invited Conor McGregor, an MMA fighter and r*pist from Ireland who also sucker punched an elderly man at the bar.

No surprise though.

Just two grimy AF people hanging out at the white house. No biggie.

A few days ago, Trump invited retired MMA fighter Conor McGregor to the white house for a cheap photo op and to give Conor even more unwanted publicity so he can market his new campaign to become Ireland's next President.

In the same way that Trump kicked-off his 2016 Presidential campaign by invoking fear about Mexican criminals at the border, McGregor is doing the same with Muslim immigrants in Ireland.

Conor has been on a nearly decade-long anti-Muslim hate campaign ever since UFC Champion and proud Muslim Khabib Nurmagomedov choked out Conor in 2018 at the T-Mobile Arena and sent the Irish fighter's career on a permanent downward spiral.

After a humiliating series of back-to-back defeats, Conor tried to rebrand himself as a business mogul. He started a whiskey brand, Proper 12, which he has since been dropped from after he was found liable for sexual assault.

When he's not getting beaten by former adversaries (Dustin Porier) or ducking aging competition (Michael Chandler), Conor is drunk posting about Muslim criminals and his desire to deport migrants.

Despite being a once-beloved icon in Ireland over a decade ago, the reputation of Conor McGregor in 2025 is in the trash can and Irish people all agree on how much they hate the guy.

Conor recently came out in support of Israel, which tipped Irish people over the edge since Ireland proudly represents one of the few countries strongly in support of Palestine.

Ireland has a long history of being colonized by the British, so Irish folks were quick to not only denounce Conor's pro-Israel stance, but they also stood by Khabib, a proud supporter of Palestine.

Do I think Conor has a chance at winning the Presidency? According to Irish political insiders, the dude only has a 4% chance of winning since he'd need the approval of 20 members of parliament, nearly all of whom are against Conor's political platform.

But in 2025, who really knows? At this point, it's hard to even have confidence in our election systems given the rise of AI and billionaire paid campaigns.

Do I think Conor will attempt to buy an election? That's a better question, and the answer is yes.

Monday Meme Dumps

Wednesday Reel Roundup

BIPOC Creators You Should Follow

Meet Biana Graulau, a News Reporter from Puerto Rico who you’ve probably seen on ABC News, NBC News, or on her Youtube channel where she reveals the everyday hardships of Puerto Rico and their connection to the American colonial empire.

International politics has always been a weak point for me, so I rely on writers and journalists I trust based on our shared values for decolonization and anti-capitalism. When I do find someone with a fantastic outlook and output of content that can explain these complex issues, great. But if they’re also a kick-ass content creator who can develop documentary-level news reporting? Even better.

Bianca’s platform is a great hub to learn about Puerto Rican statehood, the tourism industry in Mexico, or the U.S occupation of Hawai’i. 

Check out her extensive library of work and be sure to follow her on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube.

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