As social media’s availability and popularity grow, so does its influence on us and our views, impacting our lives in ways we never imagined before. The question of whether this has a more positive or negative effect on people has been continuously debated over the past few years. One point that is always brought up is that it gives people a voice that they might not have otherwise. The current Office of Digital Strategy (ODS), which manages the White House social media pages under President Trump, has lately used this to its advantage.
Their official account on X, formerly known as Twitter, posted a video of people being deported, which was captioned, “ASMR: Illegal Alien Deportation Flight.” This included visuals of deportees being chained and handcuffed before entering an airplane, with the connotation that the audio was satisfying. Immediately after being released, the video was met with heated responses from both sides of the argument. Some brought claims of dehumanization and exploitation, while other commenters passionately agreed with the message and actions portrayed in the post. Similarly, they released a Valentine’s Day poem reading, “Roses are red, violets are blue, come here illegally and we’ll deport you.” It was designed for the holiday with a pink background but instead presented an unsettling warning, clearly making a joke out of their recent deportation policies. People reacted similarly to this picture and the ASMR, which included a significant amount of conflict.
President Trump named himself “King” last month through an AI-generated photo of himself wearing a crown captioned, “Long live the King.” After being reposted by the White House, it received over 20,000 comments, most of which were angry and baffled. The United States was originally founded because of a revolution that served as a rejection of the monarchical system, so commenters were frustrated by this joke, especially since many have raised concerns about the decline in democracy since the 2016 election.
It’s clear that the majority of these posts focus on deportation, which President Trump has clearly stated is one of his largest goals during his presidency. According to The New York Times, his deportation administration, run by Tom Homan, has made around 23,000 arrests in the last month, but they’re still aiming to greatly increase that number. I think that his immigration plans are too harsh because of the long-term residents who are unable to become legal citizens. Undocumented immigrants don’t have a way to apply to be authorized even if they have been here most of their lives. This includes those who have no crime record, contribute to the workforce, and have created a family and home here. The limited pathway to a legal status is often risky and expensive, which could result in a long-term separation from the immigrant’s family. The White House trivializing this through puns online is disappointing and has proven that this situation isn’t being taken seriously enough. No political topic from either party should be represented like this because the people impacted are just as human as anyone else.
Instead of using social media platforms to bring awareness about recent presidential policies, the ODS has made jokes about an issue that is a genuine struggle and worry for millions of immigrant families. Politicians must be more considerate and thoughtful about what they post on social media because it has a tremendous impression on viewers and our country. Moreover, an increasing number of people have started constructing their political views solely based on posts they see on social media, which aren’t always factual. One should always question the ideas spread online, no matter which political party they come from.
