Authority and Control Within Trump’s Cultural Policy Strategy

President Donald Trump’s recent actions targeting media freedom and U.S. cultural institutions have raised serious alarms among critics, historians, and policy analysts. Observers warn that these moves resemble patterns used by authoritarian regimes to shape public opinion and control national narratives.

Pushing a Political Agenda Through Culture

Former President Trump and his allies have increasingly sought to influence how culture and history are presented in schools, museums, and media outlets. From the establishment of the “1776 Commission” to attacks on public broadcasters, the effort to frame American history from a singular patriotic lens has sparked fierce national debate.

Trump’s team presented the 1776 Commission as a way to promote “patriotic education” in response to progressive movements like The New York Times’ 1619 Project, which centers the legacy of slavery in American history. Critics argue that such initiatives aim to erase complex and often painful aspects of U.S. history, replacing them with overly simplified, state-approved narratives.

Controlling the Media Narrative

One of the most worrying trends is the repeated attacks on the free press. During his presidency and even after, Trump labeled reputable news outlets like CNN and The Washington Post as “fake news” and “enemies of the people.” These tactics, experts say, mirror strategies used in countries such as Russia, Turkey, and Hungary, where media control is essential to consolidating power.

Sarah Matthews, a former White House communications aide, said: “What we’re seeing is not just criticism of the media — it’s an attempt to discredit and dismantle it.” This discrediting of media threatens a core pillar of American democracy: a free and independent press.

According to a report by Freedom House, the U.S. media landscape has experienced increasing pressure and intimidation, including legal threats, disinformation campaigns, and restricted access to information under the Trump administration.

Shifting Funding and Focus of Cultural Institutions

Another area of concern is how federal funding and appointments to national institutions are being used to enforce Trump’s cultural outlook. The National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts, long known for their bipartisan approach, saw dramatic changes in funding priorities and leadership under Trump.

In several speeches, Trump suggested defunding organizations that support what he called “un-American ideologies,” referencing art or scholarship critical of U.S. history or foreign policy. These actions have been viewed as attempts to intimidate the cultural sector into self-censorship.

“This kind of top-down control over the arts and humanities is not what the founding fathers envisioned,” said Dr. Emily Larson, a historian at Columbia University. “It’s a dangerous path that can lead to cultural conformity, not freedom.”

Comparisons with Authoritarian Regimes

Scholars and political analysts are increasingly comparing Trump’s approach to cultural control with those used in authoritarian states. In Hungary, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s government has taken over universities and reshaped their curricula. In Russia, Vladimir Putin has clamped down on independent media and promoted a nationalistic version of Russian history.

Trump’s efforts, while less extreme, appear to echo these methods. Dr. Juan Martinez, a political scientist at Stanford, notes, “It starts with controlling the narrative — who tells the story of the nation. When that becomes a tool of political power, democracy suffers.”

Even conservative voices have expressed discomfort with the overreach. Columnist David French wrote in The Dispatch, “Cultural leadership must come from the people, not the government. Attempts to weaponize it only divide us further.”

The Impact on Education

Education policy has also come under scrutiny. Trump pushed to ban critical race theory (CRT) in federal training programs and supported state-level efforts to do the same in public schools. CRT, an academic framework that examines systemic racism, became a political flashpoint.

While the Trump administration framed the move as an effort to “protect students from anti-American indoctrination,” critics saw it as a censorship effort that chills classroom discussions on race, identity, and history. Organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) have pushed back, calling these bans “unconstitutional and un-American.”

What Lies Ahead?

Though Trump is no longer in office, his influence continues to reshape political and cultural discourse. Several Republican-led states have adopted policies inspired by his administration’s cultural approach, including textbook revisions, public education restrictions, and even laws affecting library books and museum exhibits.

As Trump eyes a potential return to the White House in 2024, his cultural agenda is becoming a core issue in his campaign. Supporters argue that he’s fighting back against “liberal overreach” in academia and the arts, while critics say he’s laying the groundwork for ideological control.

A Crossroads for American Values

The U.S. stands at a cultural crossroads. On one side are efforts to reshape public institutions in line with a specific political worldview. On the other are longstanding values of diversity, academic freedom, and democratic discourse.

For now, the outcome remains uncertain. But as history has shown, the control of culture is never just about education or art — it’s about power.

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