Trump’s digital war room: How the White House controls the media narrative

The White House

The Trump administration has turned its press office into a digital rapid-response operation, using social media influencers, viral content, and aggressive messaging to shape public perception and control the narrative. The Trump White House has reimagined the function of the White House press office, moving away from conventional media outreach to a combative online operation designed to dominate public opinion, the Washington Post reported. The approach favours direct communication using memes, podcasts, and social media influencers over mainstream news organisations and the establishment of an autonomous media environment.

A digital war room

When actress Selena Gomez posted a viral Instagram video in January criticising the administration’s deportation policies, the White House’s digital team responded swiftly. They released emotional interviews with mothers of children killed by undocumented immigrants and created provocative content, including a Valentine’s Day card featuring President Donald Trump’s face and a message reading: “Roses are red, violets are blue, come here illegally and we’ll deport you.” This is typical of the administration's overall strategy: pre-emptively push back against critics, overwhelm dissent, and craft narratives with high-impact online content. The team also tests out unusual formats, such as ASMR videos involving the rattling of handcuff chains on deportation flights.

Bypassing traditional media

Trump’s allies have built a parallel media network, leveraging social media platforms and right-wing personalities to amplify his message. The administration’s rapid-response team operates with the mantra “all offense, all the time.” According to Kaelan Dorr, a deputy assistant to the president who oversees digital strategy, the goal is not just to reframe narratives but to dominate the conversation. Stephen Bannon, a former senior White House aide and host of the “War Room” podcast, describes the administration as a “major information content provider.” The strategy involves overwhelming audiences with pro-Trump messaging, ensuring that his perspective is front and centre in the digital space.

Shaping public perception

The administration has adopted forceful marketing strategies to support Trump's leadership persona. This ranges from highly edited "news-style" segments, email newsletters, and the "MAGA Minute" video series. A very striking image is of Trump sporting a golden crown with the caption "LONG LIVE THE KING ".  In addition to online content, the White House is redefining access to media by bypassing traditional journalists in favour of social media influencers and individual podcasters. Over 12,000 online content creators have requested press passes, many of whom have been given priority access.

A new era of presidential messaging

The media strategy of the administration is part of a larger change in political communication. Rather than leaving it to the press to cover presidential moves, the White House now serves as the main disseminator of its own material. This strategy enables the administration to circumvent conventional fact-checking and accountability processes, reaching directly millions of supporters. While opponents say that this model undermines democratic checks and balances, the Trump camp sees it as necessary to the exercise of power over the national conversation. As the president's communications director Steven Cheung phrased it in an X post: "FULL SPECTRUM DOMINANCE."