There’s a notable and often youthful tone to the White House’s messaging on social media. During President Trump’s second term, his communications staff is focusing on countering misinformation from mainstream media and Democrats by utilizing the cultural zeitgeist to rally support for Trump’s policies.
The frequent posts indicate a shift towards a bold, and often meme-centric, social media approach during Trump’s second term, sharply contrasting with the more reserved style of previous administrations, including his own first term. What initially seemed brash is now mainstream, allowing companies to go back to reliable forms of marketing: hot people selling products, without having to apologize.
Border hoaxes exposed
The Department of Homeland Security has been very quick to dispel rumors that have gone viral on social media. A preponderance of these viral videos and memes are spreading disinformation and hoaxes that lead to fear and misconceptions about the department’s operations. On Sunday, the department posted a video on its X account in which it corrected the record first on, as Deputy Assistant DHS Secretary Lauren Bis referred to it, the “Taco Bell Hoax.”
In July, a viral hoax spread via TikTok when immigration lawyer Trisha Chatterjee falsely claimed an ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) officer provided her with a Taco Bell phone number instead of the correct phone number providing assistance for her detained clients.
