The Trump administration has used the official social media accounts of The White House to post a deportation themed Valentine and other polarizing messages.
You might have come across a pink digital Valentine’s Day card this month on your X or Instagram timelines that featured the floating heads of President Trump and the new U.S. border czar, Tom Homan. In the form of a love poem, it delivered a warning to undocumented immigrants.
“Roses are red, violets are blue, come here illegally and we’ll deport you,” read the seemingly cheery message with tiny hearts scattered across.
It seemed like a meme posted by a parody account, or something from a messaging forum like 4chan or Reddit. But the post was actually shared by the official social media accounts of the White House on Feb. 14, and it has been viewed by millions. The message was well received by many of Mr. Trump’s fans, or was at least a form of internet language they understand well. Other commenters were disturbed by its callousness.
Since Mr. Trump took office in January, the official social media accounts of his administration have delivered several posts referencing the deportation of undocumented people that appear to have the same tone as playful memes and other popular social media trends. While this isn’t the first presidential administration to use internet lingo as part of its social media strategy, Mr. Trump’s repeated use of it is a departure from previous administrations, and reinforces his belief in his expansive power to reshape all aspects of the government.
“President Trump is committed to using every direct line of communication to the American people,” Harrison Fields, a White House spokesman, said in a statement that emphasized Mr. Trump’s embrace of various social media platforms.
In a post on Tuesday, the official White House account on X shared a video of a person in handcuffs preparing to board a plane, which was captioned “ASMR: Illegal Alien Deportation Flight.” The caption was a reference to Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response videos, which are widely popular online for delivering pleasant sounds that create positive and therapeutic sensations for many.