Today, Americans will once again be forced to endure a nationwide “psyop” operation in which a small group of far-left political organizations, such as Ezra Levin’s Indivisible, pretends that there is “massive” public opposition to Donald Trump’s enforcement of longstanding U.S. immigration law.
This propaganda effort requires, and indeed is based upon, the active complicity and cooperation of America’s corporate media.
Anyone who has ever attended a political demonstration in person knows how this all works.
In a word: everything is done for the cameras.
Image created using ImageFX.
The “protesters” hold up pre-printed signs, yell and scream on cue, and then, once the TV crews go away, break for lunch.
Although left-wing groups deny it, there are companies that specialize in providing “flash mobs” for media PR events to create the illusion of support for, or opposition to, a given company, product, or political cause.
“There are hundreds of lobbying firms and public affairs firms that do this work, though not all in the same way,” Edward Walker, a UCLA sociology professor who wrote a book on astroturfing, told The Los Angeles Times. “Some only do a little bit of this grassroots-for-hire, but things adjacent to this are not uncommon today.”
In other words, it’s all fake. Fake news and fake political outrage.
The truth is, at least some recent polls reveal that support for Trump’s enforcement of U.S. immigration law is growing, not declining.
For example, a CBS News/YouGov poll found that 54 percent of American adults support the deportation of illegal immigrants, and 51 percent support ICE enforcement actions.
An RMG Research poll reported that a whopping 58 percent back the deportation efforts.
And in an Insider Advantage survey, 59 percent approved of Trump’s decision to send National Guard troops to Los Angeles in response to the protests.
Incredibly, Newsweek reports that “new data shows a growing number of immigrant voters are backing Donald Trump and his hardline immigration agenda—marking a dramatic reversal from past elections.”
But that doesn’t stop violent left-wing organizations, such as Antifa, from staging riots across the country, supposedly to protest Donald Trump’s policies.
Given the reality of the polling, the Democrat-aligned groups organizing the protests have their work cut out for them.
Fortunately for them, the practitioners of political propaganda have long ago worked out a number of manipulative techniques for achieving ambitious PR goals, so long as they have a compliant press corps to help them.
The propaganda techniques include:
For Saturday’s No Kings demonstrations and riots, these techniques have already been put into place by compliant corporate media.
Corporate news outlets across the country consistently report that the No Kings demonstrations draw participation from “ordinary citizens” with a focus on inclusivity, nonviolence, and grassroots organizing.
For example, PBS NewsHour has already described the No Kings protests as inclusive gatherings where “people of all ages are expected to come together in the protest locations for speeches, marching, carrying signs and waving American flags.”
The Associated Press describes the organizers of the No Kings protests as “a national movement made up of everyday Americans who stand for democracy and against what they call the authoritarian actions of the Trump administration.”
CNN is using the bandwagon technique and claiming that “millions of protesters” are expected to reject “authoritarianism, billionaire-first politics, and the militarization of our democracy.”
(These estimates of attendance are not based on any objective evidence, however, but merely reflect the hopes and wishes of the No Kings organizers themselves.)
The media also consistently use the propaganda technique of “labeling and framing,” portraying the No Kings demonstrations as a “grassroots uprising” or a “people’s movement.”
Rolling Stone Magazine, one of Ezra Levin’s favorite propaganda outlets, explicitly frames the No Kings protests as a “peaceful rebellion“ and a “people-powered movement,” highlighting the involvement of “grassroots organizations” and the aim to mobilize Americans from diverse backgrounds—urban, suburban, and rural—as a counterbalance to Trump’s supposedly authoritarian tendencies.
Axios describes the No Kings events as a “widespread movement” and “nationwide day of defiance,” noting that “more than 100 pro-democracy advocacy groups” are partnering to organize the No Kings events across city blocks, small towns, and community parks.
“No Kings is a nationwide day of defiance. From city blocks to small towns, from courthouse steps to community parks, we’re taking action to reject authoritarianism,” the supposedly objective news organization claims.
And, of course, the use of celebrity testimonials “to tend credibility and visibility to a protest” – one of the most overused techniques of classical propaganda – is ubiquitous.
The Walmart heiress and billionaire Christy Walton is repeatedly highlighted in mainstream outlets such as Forbes, CBS News, and USA Today for her prominent support of the No Kings protests.
She placed a full-page advertisement in The New York Times urging participation in the nationwide demonstrations and is described as “one of few billionaires publicly opposing Trump.”
In the end, though, all these propaganda techniques will ultimately fall flat.
The controlled corporate media will portray the No Kings protests as an overwhelming success—democracy at its finest!—yet average Americans already know the truth.
As for the No Kings protests themselves, the Democrats and their Antifa allies already tried that approach in the 2024 election, insisting that Donald Trump is a dictator and that “democracy itself is on the ballot.”
The result was an overwhelming Trump victory in which Trump won a narrow but clear popular vote lead, a sweep of all major swing states, and notable gains among men, Latino men, and Black men.
Propaganda has its limits.
Robert J. Hutchinson is the author of numerous books of popular history, and writes regularly at www.DisputedQuestions.com.