The clickbait president How White House built a partisan media machine

How White House built a partisan media machine

- David Smith

There was a disturbance in the force. Donald Trump celebrated "Star Wars Day" this week with an AI-generated image of himself as a muscle-bound warrior holding a red lightsaber in front of two US flags and eagles.

It seemed like a bit of fun but appeared on the White House's official X account with a dark political message: "Happy May the 4th to all, including the Radical Left Lunatics who are fighting so hard to bring Sith Lords, Murderers, Drug Lords, Dangerous Prisoners, & well-known MS-13 Gang Members, back into our Galaxy. You're not the Rebellion - you're the Empire. May the 4th be with you."

Star Wars nerds were quick to point out that a red lightsaber implied that Trump had embraced the dark side. The actor Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker, wrote on social media: "Proof this guy is full of SITH." But the president's joking-not-joking post was also indicative of a wider trend: a revolution in the way the White House communicates with the American public.

Over the past three and a half months, Trump and his team have launched a relentless media offensive based on crass language, flashy tactics, shock-value videos and social media memes that are outrageous by design. They have used platforms and personalities to bypass traditional outlets and directly engage the Maga base. They have found new ways to drown out critics, goad opponents and antagonize the world.

The embrace of viral far-right culture has nurtured a parallel information ecosystem, with pro-Trump outlets enjoying a significant growth in influence, access to power, and financial investment. It is helping the president dominate the "attention economy" and reshape narratives around the economy, immigration and other policy issues. But it also alarms critics who warn that insults and lies are going unchecked.