Propaganda is not new. If it were a person, it would qualify for Social Security and complain about its knees. Actually, of course, it’s even much older than that. But it’s not so old that it doesn’t work anymore. In fact, we’re witnessing a time where it works far too well.
What is new is that it now has high-speed internet, a podcast microphone, media organizations with no guardrails, and a intelligent algorithm that knows you’re angrier than usual on Tuesday nights.
The result? Generations-old manipulation techniques—once used by empires, dictators, and cult leaders—are now being deployed creatively, effectively, and fraudulently to convince just enough people that Donald Trump is not a criminal, not corrupt, and definitely not using campaign fundraising for office like a personal Venmo account. Heck, he was found guilty of using a personal charity organization for children and veterans as his own personal piggy bank, and the propaganda was so strong that everyone thought it was just some made-up conspiracy against him, so it was out of the news in no time. Because a new outrage was presented to everyone the next day.
And that wasn’t by accident. It happened by design. It’s happened by design repeatedly for about a decade now.
Same Scam, Better Graphics
The fundamentals of propaganda haven’t changed in centuries:
- Repeat the lie until it feels real
- Discredit anyone who disagrees with you
- Divide the world into “us” (heroes) and “them” (evil alien people)
- Appeal to fear, grievance, and vibes instead of evidence
- Keep people emotionally activated so they don’t think too hard
The internet didn’t reinvent propaganda—it just slapped a “share” button on it and removed the adults from the room.
No editors.
No gatekeepers.
No shame.
Just vibes and engagement metrics.
You Don’t Need to Fool Everyone — Just Enough
Modern propaganda doesn’t aim for universal agreement. That would be exhausting. It only needs to radicalize just enough people to:
- Dismiss courts as fake
- Call journalism “the enemy of the people”
- Treat subpoenas, indictments, and impeachments like they’re meaningless
- Believe that being held accountable is oppression and a “witch hunt”
- Insist that obvious self-dealing is actually 4D chess
Congratulations, you now have a parallel reality where fraud is strength and consequences are “communism.”
The Firehose of Absolute Nonsense
One favorite authoritarian trick is the firehose of falsehoods strategy, which translates roughly to:
“Say everything. Constantly. Loudly. Correct nothing.”
Contradictions don’t matter because consistency is for people who respect reality. When lies come faster than they can be debunked, people don’t sort them out—they give up.
And when people believe “everyone lies,” they stop caring who lies best.
Spoiler: it’s usually the guy who lies the most.
Ever hear someone claim “both sides are the same” so voting doesn’t matter? Yeah, they’re trying to convince you that the side that did 10 things wrong is just as bad as the side that maybe almost did 1 thing wrong but we’re not sure if they actually did as no one actually ever proved it they just put the dark cloud there… but because it’s been said about both, even though one was actually proven to have done it 10 times versus the mere implication on the other, you shouldn’t trust any of them. Got it?
Online Bots doing the groundwork
Bots and troll farms—both foreign and domestic—flood platforms like Facebook, Reddit, 4chan, X, YouTube, TikTok, and comment sections with highly targeted messaging aimed at single-issue voters. The goal isn’t persuasion so much as sabotage: convince people they must vote Republican, vote third-party, or sit out entirely to “punish” Democrats for failing them.
A common example: student loan forgiveness. These accounts loudly insist Democrats “lied” and “never intended to help,” urging disillusioned borrowers to stay home or protest vote—while quietly omitting a few inconvenient facts. Namely: Biden issued student loan forgiveness, Republicans sued to block it, and judges appointed by Trump ruled to keep millions trapped in predatory debt.
But sure. “Both sides are the same.” 🙄
This tactic gets recycled endlessly across other single-issue pressure points, including:
- Israel–Palestine / Gaza
Messaging designed to inflame moral outrage and push absolutist “if you don’t get everything you want immediately, burn the system down” conclusions—conveniently helping the candidates that are actually the least interested in diplomacy or humanitarian restraint. - Marijuana legalization
Ignoring that Democrats have decriminalized, pardoned, and legalized at the state level while Republicans consistently block federal reform—then telling voters to stay home because it’s “taking too long.” or to vote for third-party “Legalize Marijuana Now” parties who are proven to be shadow funded by Republicans. - Climate change
Downplaying major investments like the Inflation Reduction Act while insisting incremental progress is “worse than nothing,” nudging climate voters toward apathy or protest votes that empower outright climate denialists. - Healthcare / Medicare for All
Pretending expanded coverage, ACA protections, and prescription drug caps don’t count unless the perfect system appears overnight—again encouraging disengagement. - Police reform
Amplifying every failure while erasing local and federal reforms, consent decrees, and funding shifts—then claiming reform is impossible and voting is pointless. - Abortion rights
Framing Democrats as weak or complicit (anyone remember hearing how Biden was too moderate?) while ignoring that Republicans overturned Roe, passed bans, and openly discuss national restrictions. - Minimum wage / labor rights
Acting as if stalled legislation equals betrayal, while ignoring union wins, NLRB enforcement, and wage increases blocked by Republican votes. Depending on ignorance on civics and how the process works and why progress isn’t happening. - Immigration
Oversimplifying complex policy into rage bait, then pushing narratives that discourage turnout among immigrant communities and allies. - LGBTQ+ rights
Elevating fear and frustration while obscuring the fact that one party is actively protecting rights and the other is criminalizing existence.
The formula is always the same: magnify disappointment, erase context, demand purity, and redirect anger away from the people actually blocking progress. If you see commenters doing this, you’re witnessing it first hand. I’ve been seeing it for years.
And then, with a straight face, conclude:
“But both sides are the same.”
They’re not. The manipulation just wants you to believe they are.
Identity: Now With Extra Fragility
The most effective propaganda doesn’t convince you of facts—it convinces you of who you are.
Supporting Trump isn’t presented as a political position. It’s an identity bundle:
- Patriot
- Victim
- Rebel
- Warrior
- Defender of “Real America™”
Once belief becomes part of your identity, changing your mind feels like betrayal. It feels like an insult to your intelligence. Evidence contrary to your belief isn’t just inconvenient—it’s hostile.
So every charge must be fake. Every critic must be corrupt. Every obvious grift must be rebranded as genius.
Because admitting the truth would hurt worse than defending the lie.
How a Lie Gets a Suit and Tie
Propaganda also enjoys laundering itself through the media ecosystem like dirty money:
A conspiracy starts in a forum.
It gets a glow-up on YouTube.
Then a podcast repeats it “just asking questions.”
Then a sketchy news site runs with it.
Then a politician cites it.
By the time it hits your uncle’s Facebook feed, it feels real—not because it’s true, but because it’s familiar.
Buttttttt…then it turns out proven untrue. Think the story about it being reported as untrue is posted the same amount of times? Nah, let’s bury that on page 7 and move on.
Repetition creates comfort. Comfort gets mistaken for truth.
The World’s Least Subtle Grift
The funniest part—if it weren’t terrifying—is that none of this is subtle.
Trump’s entire career is a highlight reel of:
- Self-enrichment
- Loyalty-for-favors
- Branding everything, including the presidency
- Treating public office like a reality show sponsorship
This isn’t hidden. It’s the point.
But propaganda reframes corruption as persecution and greed as success. It tells followers that recognizing the con means you’ve been “brainwashed by elites.”
Which is incredibly convenient for the con artist.
Okay, Now the Part That’s Not Funny
Here’s where the jokes stop.
This isn’t just about one man or one movement. It’s about people being trained—intentionally—to reject reality itself. To distrust evidence. To dismiss accountability. To believe truth is partisan and facts are optional.
A society that can’t agree on what’s real cannot function. Democracy can’t survive that. Neither can trust, law, or basic decency.
I genuinely hope people snap out of this soon.
Not to win arguments.
Not for bragging rights.
But because this isn’t a game, and it’s not harmless. It’s hurting a lot of people. The longer we pretend this is just politics-as-usual, the more damage it does—to families, communities, and the country itself.
Propaganda may be old. But the consequences are very current and very real.
