The government or 4chan? The White House’s social media account is sparking outreach

The official White House social media account is under fire for posts that resemble something typically found on the internet forum 4chan.

A post shared on February 14, styled like a Valentine’s card, read, “Roses are red, violets are blue, come here illegally and we’ll deport you.” It has since been viewed 36.6 million times. While many of President Donald Trump’s supporters praised the message, others condemned it as callous. “I thought this was a parody account at first. Absolutely disgusting!” one X user commented. “Classless,” another simply put.

Happy Valentine's Day ♥️ pic.twitter.com/6d7qmo7gtz

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 14, 2025

On February 18, another post tapped into the ASMR trend—short for “autonomous sensory meridian response,” a term for the tingling sensation some people experience in response to certain sounds or visuals. The video featured audio of a plane, chains clinking against the ground, handcuffs being fastened, and footsteps ascending a metal staircase. It was titled, “ASMR: Illegal Alien Deportation Flight.”

ASMR: Illegal Alien Deportation Flight 🔊 pic.twitter.com/O6L1iYt9b4

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 18, 2025

X owner and Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) chief Elon Musk reposted the video writing, “Haha, wow,” accompanied by Frankenstein and gold medal emojis. Many commenters, however, were alarmed by the apparent trivialization of a serious humanitarian issue. “And you’re telling me this isn’t a fascist dictatorship? Making ‘ASMR’ about a human being being deported is beyond cruel. That’s some cartoon type evil,” one wrote.

Another commented: “As a European watching this reality show called ‘American Politics’ unfold, I didn’t think they could go any lower at this point.”

The White House posts signal a shift in tone and strategy from the norm for official accounts of those governing the country. Rather than maintaining a neutral, bureaucratic voice, the White House’s official X account now resembles that of a social media troll. In response to the backlash, White House spokesman Harrison Fields told The New York Times, “President Trump is committed to using every direct line of communication to the American people.”

While the 2024 election—and the interminable discourse surrounding Kamala HQ and Brat summer—proved there is room within politics for internet lingo, the question remains: Where should the line be drawn for an official government account?


https://www.fastcompany.com/91282909/the-government-or-4chan-the-white-houses-social-media-account-is-sparking-outreach?partner=rss&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss+fastcompany&utm_content=rss
Creato 2mo | 21 feb 2025, 20:30:04


Accedi per aggiungere un commento

Altri post in questo gruppo

What the ‘Bhagavad Gita’ can teach us about AI

One recent rainy afternoon, I found myself in an unexpected role—philosophy teacher to a machine. I was explaining the story of the Bha

10 apr 2025, 13:50:05 | Fast company - tech
How video games became peak IP

The Minecraft movie is crass, dumb, and barely coherent. It also just made almost $163 million at the domestic box office over its opening weekend. 

Video game adaptations have

10 apr 2025, 11:30:06 | Fast company - tech
How Camb.ai is breaking language barriers with AI

Camb.ai is on a mission to disrupt the dominance of English in global media. Founded in 2022, the AI-powered platform specializes in real-time translation that retains a speaker’s emotional resona

10 apr 2025, 11:30:06 | Fast company - tech
‘Somebody has to pay the cost’: Business owners break down tariff drama on social media

Founders and CEOs typically use social media to etch a human face onto their brand, forge a personal connection with potential customers, and put some pizzazz into product launches.

With

9 apr 2025, 19:20:08 | Fast company - tech
Deepfake porn is a labor issue

Last month, First Lady Melania Trump used her first public remarks of President Trump’s second term to 

9 apr 2025, 14:40:05 | Fast company - tech
Sparq wants drivers to be their own AI-powered mechanics

Cars are about to get a lot more expensive. This startup wants to make your

9 apr 2025, 10:10:05 | Fast company - tech