Last week, I saw a TikTok post from the verified White House account that shocked me. The TikTok showed the U.S. launching a missile at a ship, praising the actions shown in the video’s caption. The Trump Administration has consistently posted questionable videos meant to increase public patriotism and support for its administration. This situation raises concerns about the government being allowed to have social media accounts when it openly promotes war online.
Trump announced Operation Epic Fury late last February. The operation began with targeted missile strikes on Iran’s naval, missile and nuclear power. Despite promising a quick end to the conflict, the operation was still ongoing until a two-week, conditional ceasefire was enacted on the morning of April 8th, which has quickly proven deeply strained. A poll conducted by PBS shows that 59 percent of Americans believe the military’s actions in Iran are excessive and another 45 percent are worried about rising gas prices due to the war, demonstrating a significant portion of the public’s opposition to the war with Iran. The public’s concerns about civilian harm and economic consequences indicate that government actions, as reflected in social media posts, run counter to the popular desire for peace. This clarifies that the government’s messaging can conflict with citizen interests when used to promote war.
Additionally, the White House TikTok has posted offensive edited videos of missile strikes in Iran, slicing actual footage with footage directly from or referencing Nintendo’s 2009 Wii Sports Resort release, playing on the title’s tropical, relaxing and cartoonish visuals. The combination of these elements suggests the videos are meant to entertain or mock, rather than inform. The theme between these videos intends to blame Iran, claiming the war is justified simply because of the American lives lost. These videos create the impression that government communication trivializes the serious consequences of war, supporting the view that social media posts diminish professionalism and sensitivity. By using entertainment-focused formats and captions that justify military actions, the government appears to mock real suffering, directly tying the evidence to the claim.
Adding to the vitriol, Donald Trump recently posted on Truth Social that, “a civilization will die tonight,” directly threatening the Iranian government to force a two-week ceasefire or face complete elimination, likely via nuclear force, demanding that the Strait of Hormuz be opened, and only then will he suspend the bombing of civilians and infrastructure, seemingly just for two weeks.
The Strait of Hormuz accounts for 20 percent of the world’s oil, and Trump is simply demanding safe access to it for a two-week period to collect the oil. There was public backlash and negative responses to the post made by Trump; in order to try to alter public perception, he retracted the threat of death against Iran, but the damage was already done.
Trump’s decision to retract his threatening post suggests he recognizes the public’s disapproval of aggressive military actions. His social media activity thus aims to sway public opinion in favor of his actions, reinforcing the idea that the government actively uses social media to shape public support for the ongoing war. If the government does not post any media that supports people without mocking other countries, they should not have accounts.
They produce nothing other than mocking, rude and insensitive videos. The consistent humiliation of the suffering happening in Iran is a poor reflection on our country and needs to end. The best and quickest way to end this is to remove the government from social media entirely.
