Auditioning for America: From Policy to Propaganda

Illustration by Will Allen/Europinion

From the creator of American TV shows such as “Duck Dynasty” and “The Millionaire Matchmaker,” producer Rob Worsoff is looking to blend politics and entertainment in partnership with the Trump administration by reimagining immigration policy as a reality TV competition. 

As dystopian and Hunger Games-esque as it sounds, reports revealed that the US Department of Homeland Security was in the “beginning stages” of an immigrant-based reality TV show, with the working title “The American.” Participants involved would be offered citizenship for winning challenges taking place across iconic US landmarks and cities, such as a “gold rush” challenge in San Francisco, a “pizza” challenge in New York, or a “NASA” challenge in Florida, all in a broad attempt to showcase “how cool America is.”

The show's pitch description states: “Contestants will represent a wide demographic of ages, ethnicities, and talents. We’ll join in the laughter, tears, frustration and joy — hearing their backstories — as we are reminded of how amazing it is to be American, through the eyes of 12 wonderful people who want nothing more than to have what we have — and what we often take for granted: the freedom, opportunity and honor of what it means to be American.” With people from each state voting on how well participants performed in challenges, Worsoff told CNN that he pictured “each episode ending with a town-hall meeting, just like in a presidential election.”

After the public outcry, DHS spokespeople denied any plans for such a show or any involvement from DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. Yet, a spokesperson from the agency previously stated that the department was considering the collaboration. 

While we caught glimpses of entertainment-infused politics and attention-based politics in action during Trump’s first presidency, this time around it is drastically different, as his consolidation of power has grown, and advocates fighting for migrants have become overwhelmed. As dystopian, outrageous, and Machiavellian as this reality TV show sounds, it brings us to a critical US inflection point: Has the line between Republican Party policy and government propaganda already been crossed? If so, can anyone stop it? Institutions tiptoeing around with entertainment media for policy messaging, action, and influence bring us to a dangerous democratic crisis, as governance becomes a spectacle in which democratic norms are replaced with propaganda tactics and partisan theatrics. 

Considering the Republican Party's blurring of party policy and government propaganda, we can begin to spot state-sponsored narratives on official government channels that resemble propaganda rather than policy. The official White House accounts, @whitehouse on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, have seemingly transformed the previously public service-based accounts into an extension of Trump’s Truth Social, ultra-right-wing presence. 

Illustration by Will Allen/Europinion

Between posting a deportation Valentine's Day poem, a Studio Ghibli AI illustration of a crying woman being arrested by ICE, an AI “King Trump” TIME magazine cover, and even an ASMR deportation video, these accounts no longer resemble the social media accounts that began under the Obama administration. They now function as a strategic fusion of propaganda, internet irony, and alt-right buzzwords, glorifying the President and vilifying the opposition, marginalized communities, and others. 

Yet, this blend of propaganda, policy, and entertainment extends far past the pitched reality TV show or social media platforms, as the Trump administration has crossed into broadcasts across America. 

In April, DHS Secretary Noem announced new nationwide and international multimillion-dollar advertisements warning undocumented individuals to leave the United States or otherwise be fined nearly $1,000 per day, imprisoned, and removed. Airing in multiple languages across the United States and internationally on television, these ads were a part of the administration’s bigger “propaganda blitz,” as they “look, sound, and feel exactly like campaign ads.”

In a domestic ad, Secretary Kristi Noem stated,“Thank you, President Donald J. Trump, for securing our border and putting America first. President Trump has a clear message: if you are here illegally, we will find you and deport you. You will never return. But if you leave now, you may have an opportunity to return and enjoy our freedom and live the American Dream.”

These ads not only sparked outrage domestically but also made international news, as Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum urged the country’s Congress to pass a law that would outlaw the airing of ads such as these and other forms of “propaganda” on major TV and radio channels. 

While right-wingers are swift to point out how the Biden administration also paid for ads regarding immigration, airing radio ads in South America, the distinction is notable. 

These efforts at the time fell under public diplomacy, which aimed to shape perceptions among foreign audiences to deter illegal migration and promote cooperation. This contrasts sharply with the current administration’s strategy, in which domestic propaganda is designed and disseminated to inflame cultural divisions, pit Americans against one another, and exacerbate political polarization and fear for partisan gain, something that is now the core operating strategy of the Republican party. 

The line between Republican Party policy and government propaganda was crossed on January 20, 2025, upon Trump’s inauguration. Since then, governance has lost sight of its purpose of public service and has become a spectacle many Americans can’t even bear to watch. According to 2024’s Reuters and Oxford Digital News Report, nearly 43% of Americans say they avoid the news in some form, with 8% consuming news less than once a month or never, equating to millions of people tuning out. 

These institutions, designed by the Founding Fathers to safeguard democracy from its competing evils of authoritarianism and populism, have now found themselves complicit, like the House of Representatives passing Trump’s detrimental tax-cut bill, or paralyzed, with the many political experts wondering if the Supreme Court will continue to hear appeals of Trump’s orders. While we hear and see the administration's propaganda in full force, we are no longer debating policy; we are watching democracy become a reality TV show game, in which all who are not political elite, in agreement, or submission, are losing.