President Donald Trump loves to rave about restoring the United States to the metaphorical “good ol’ days,” and Uncle Sam has been enlisted to lead the charge.
Various federal departments and Trump lackeys have been using repurposed or ripped-off AI versions of historical war propaganda to push their current objective forward: making immigrants the enemy.
“Answer the call to service!” U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement wrote via X alongside an edited version of the World War II-era “We Want You” poster.
“Defend your family. Defend your neighbor. Defend the Homeland,” the caption read. Images of very Aryan-looking men are also a common theme.
Another post published Monday featured an image of men constructing the Statue of Liberty with the text “DEFEND YOUR CULTURE” plastered across it.
Despite Lady Liberty’s historical symbolism welcoming immigrants entering the U.S. via Ellis Island, the post was shared unironically as a means to recruit more people to Trump’s anti-immigration cause.
“Calling all patriots. USCIS is now hiring ‘HOMELAND DEFENDERS,’” White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller wrote atop a retweet of the image.
“Your job will be to interview applicants for green cards, work visas and citizenship for approval or denial,” wrote the architect of the Trump administration’s cruel and inhumane push to deport as many migrants as possible.
The retro-inspired “artwork” has a hidden message that history has shown us before. This visually appealing propaganda pulls on Americans’ heartstrings even while it creates a common enemy.
Historically, Uncle Sam was used to come after Chinese immigrants and, at other times, the grey-haired man has been employed to sway public opinion on wars the U.S. was entering.
But ultimately, the patriotic icon has almost always been used as a means to create a common enemy: non-Americans.
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Today, as the images are juxtaposed on the Department of Homeland Security’s social media accounts alongside mugshots of people of color, the Trump administration’s perceived enemy is crystal clear.
And as DHS Secretary Kristi Noem records videos telling immigrants to “leave now” or they may be sent to El Salvador’s notorious CECOT prison, the administration isn’t trying to hide its nationalist views either.
Daily Kos reached out to DHS for comment on their use of the imagery but did not hear back.
