The president’s full-court press to dominate media and control cultural institutions is straight out of the authoritarian playbookBigger than the Super Bowl, claimed Donald Trump, sitting in a big leather chair beside a big map. Then came an announcement over the public address system. “Air Force One is currently in international waters,” declared the flight crew of the US presidential jet, “for the first time in history flying over the recently renamed Gulf of America.”As his aides clapped and whooped, Trump gloated: “Isn’t that nice? We’re about ‘Make America Great Again’, right? That’s what we care about.” He proceeded to sign a proclamation declaring 9 February “Gulf of America Day” as Air Force One flew over the body of water previously known as the Gulf of Mexico. Continue reading...
Donald Trump has been accused of reshaping U.S. culture through propaganda, influencing media narratives, and controlling language, with some comparing his tactics to those of authoritarian regimes. He has renamed the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America and banned the Associated Press for refusing to adopt the new name. Trump has also pushed to redefine terms, such as labeling fired federal employees as "deep-state activists," and has Whitewashed the National Park Service's Stonewall monument by removing references to transgender people.
The White House has targeted media outlets deemed unfavorable, using lawsuits and FCC actions, while favoring partisan right-wing outlets. Trump has also taken control of cultural institutions, including the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, installing loyalists and promoting a version of history that reinforces national exceptionalism. The National Endowment for the Arts has canceled grants for marginalized groups and banned funding for diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, raising concerns about the politicization of the arts.
Trump's propaganda efforts extend to education, with restrictions on teaching about gender and race, and to entertainment, such as his Super Bowl appearance, which drew record viewers. Critics, including historians, warn that Trump's use of spectacle, symbols, and repetition mirrors tactics of past strongmen like Mussolini, aiming to create a cult of personality and dominate narratives.
