We live inside Donald Trump’s and Elon Musk’s propaganda machine. In this article, I provide some examples.
INTRODUCTION
This article describes the problems the US faces with Propaganda. Sadly, decisions are being supported solely based on propaganda statements. We do not get information; we get statements. I will explain below.
PROPAGANDA
Propaganda is a form of communication that aims to influence a population's attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors toward a particular cause or position. In short, it was the Kook-Aid that Trump used to capture his MAGA base. Today, propaganda is the basis for communication between the Trump government and the public.
Propaganda aims to use emotional appeals rather than rational arguments. It utilizes selective truth, misrepresentation, and emotional manipulation to shape perceptions and public opinion. Propaganda is also frequently used to hide negative outcomes, such as spreading or inciting hatred.
Due to its persuasive power, it is essential for individuals to critically evaluate the messages they read and hear and separate genuine information from manipulative rhetoric.
Understanding propaganda's functioning will foster an informed and engaged citizenry in democratic societies. Something that Trump does not want – so we continue to be hit in the face with a shotgun approach to the delivery of propaganda.
It is up to everyone to ask questions and not take anything as the truth from anyone without checking it out. In today’s political environment, this is especially important. So far, propaganda has elected Trump and given him a road to travel to do what he wants.
@openyourojos and all those who voted for Trump, please do not believe me or make your decisions based upon propaganda statements. Search for information that you are not being given to understand the truth. It is easy and only takes a few minutes if you have a computer and access to the internet.
PROPAGANDA STATEMENTS
Every day, we receive an onslaught of propaganda statements, and a shotgun approach is underway to overwhelm any chance of adequately responding to all the accusations. Below are a few examples.
Trump: The J6 committee should all go to jail.
This is an opinion. It is not a statement of fact.
The question is why? I could write plenty about “why not,” but I ask anyone who believes Trump with this to research why. What did they do that was against the law?
Trump: DEI could have caused the Washington plane crash.
This was an opinion. It was not a statement of fact.
As part of evidence, Trump described a DEI policy that allowed people who were mentally disabled or dwarfs to be air traffic controllers. That is not and was not true. He did not state that it was, in fact, his previous administration that brought in the policy for DEI and that there was no lowering of standards for people in air traffic control.
Trump: I do not know anything about Project 202
Project 2025 is an integral part of the delivery of the Trump Administration.
Does anyone out there still believe this statement?
Trump: We are going to drill, baby drill
This is an emotional statement with no context. What is meant by Drill Baby Drill? What is the target?
The statement does not tell us anything. The USA is already the world's leading producer. Where does Trump want this to go?
Trump: I am going to reduce the price of eggs by 50%
Since January 20, 2025, eggs have increased from under $5.00 per dozen to more than $9.00 per dozen. Trump had promised $2.50 per dozen, but the price is now more than $6.50 above that.
Trump: On August 14th, 2024 began stressing, “From the day I take the oath of office, we will rapidly drive prices down and make America affordable again.”
Not only have eggs increased, so has gasoline. On January 19, 2025, the average price for gas in Seattle was $3.85 per gallon. On February 8, 2025, the price was $3.995, an increase of $0.145 per gallon or 3.8%.
How is all of this, as Trump promised, “making America affordable again?”
Trump: “We cancelled $26 million in contracts (in USAID) that were indeed corrupt.
There was no information on why Trump said these were “corrupt”—that they were illegal actions. One could always argue the appropriateness of contracts, but that is a far cry from suggesting that something illegal was ongoing.
Trump: “Billions of dollars have been stolen at USAID and other agencies” and given "to the fake news media" to write favorable stories about Democrats. He said Politico had received $8 million.
No information has been provided to show that any funds have been stolen. Where is the list? The propaganda that $8 million was paid to Politico is also a grand misrepresentation.
Data from USAspending.gov shows that government agencies collectively spent more than $8 million on Politico subscriptions and products in 2024. USAID spent $24,000, a long way from what was said in the propaganda - $8 million.
Musk: The US public will feel “temporary pain.”
What does temporary mean? What kind of pain? A straightforward emotional statement is much safer and easy to make when you do not justify it. If people had an idea what pain was coming, they might disagree.
Do Trump and Musk know that the citizens would disagree and so have decided to use far-reaching propaganda to mislead everyone?
Trump: “We will make America Great Again.”
This statement is intended to make people believe that America is in terrible shape. I am not arguing one way or the other, but nothing was provided to defend the statement. How can we judge whether America has become great again without a baseline?
Speaker Johnson: “If the tax relief is not extended, the USA will lose 650,000 jobs and $1.1 trillion in GDP.”
Where did that come from? Just a statement made that cannot be checked. But let’s look at a few of the tax facts:
The corporate tax rate was 35% in 2015 but was reduced to 21% in 2017, saving companies 14% on their net revenue. Here are a few examples of how Trump’s wealthy friends have benefited from the tax gift.
- Tesla: Between 2020 and 2023, Tesla saved approximately $5.73 billion.
- Facebook and Trump’s friend, Zuckerberg. They pocketed approximately 18.3 billion since 2020 because of the tax break that Trump and his friends want to continue.
- All public companies in the USA saved approximately $1.84 trillion between 2020 and 2023 from the reduced tax rate.
- Is there any question why the rich have saddled up with Trump? For a few measly dollars, they will make billions over the next four years. And who will be left on the hook to make up the difference? I hope you got it. It is not other countries paying tariffs.
Trump and, most recently, Karoline Leavitt, his press secretary, have said, “The exporting countries pay the tariffs.”
It is well known that when a US company, for example, receives a cell phone shipment from China with a 10% tariff, the US company pays the tariff, not the Chinese manufacturer.
The US company importing the cell phones usually passes the increased cost on to the consumer—you and me.
Guess what? You and I, buying the imported goods that have tariffs, will pay for the continued tax gift to Trump’s wealthy friends. Trump’s tariffs will cost US shoppers about $277 billion per year.
There will still be a huge shortfall. All things being equal, and using the same information from 2020 – 2023, the tax savings for all public companies will be $460 billion annually. However, the tariffs from Canada, China, and Mexico will cost anyone who buys products from those countries $277 billion extra, which will go to the government coffers. So, there will still be a shortfall of $190 billion per year.
To pay for the tax benefit to the rich, taxes on the rest of us will have to go up, government services will have to be slashed, and/or the debt ceiling will have to be raised. This is not a problem of the cost of government programs; it is a problem of gifts to wealthy friends.
THE WRAP UP
In wrapping up, I have a question for @openyourojos and all those who drank the Kook-Aid of Trump’s lies, which continue today and have been proven to be lies: Hasn’t this put even a trace of doubt in your mind that something is not right?
The anger and hate toward immigrants, that government institutions have to be torn apart, and if the tax cuts are not continued, 650,000 jobs will be lost, and, and, and.....
It is so easy to lie, but they will eventually be caught. By then, the propaganda will have done its job—getting the wealthy what they want and leaving the 300-odd million who are not in the privileged group in the dust.
Best wishes
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