Credit: Melina Barris

WSPN’s Olivia Green and Emily Wyner reflect on the Trump Administration’s abuses of power.

In 1949, English novelist and poet George Orwell seemed to predict the future. Eric Arthur Blair, who wrote under the pen name George Orwell for his own protection, produced numerous novels that have become some of the most iconic political commentaries still read today. Although Orwell died over 75 years ago, his warnings on politics in society still remain relevant to this day.

Two of Orwell’s most notable works are “Animal Farm” and “1984,” both of which are read by students at WHS as part of the sophomore English curriculum. Published in 1945, “Animal Farm” is based on Stalin’s betrayal during the Russian revolution and explores the dangers of totalitarianism in a time when it was widely accepted as a form of government.

“1984” follows an antihero who grows intellectually as he questions the limits of his dystopian society. Due to the novelty and shock factor of these themes, both books were banned in the Soviet Union.

According to Orwell, a dystopian society arises when a single leader and ideology seize total control of the people. Today, we can see this in certain communist countries. Although many Americans may view these dystopian warning signs as a distant concern, the recent actions of the federal government have proved otherwise.

Recently, when U.S. President Donald Trump decided to ignore court orders to reverse the deportation of hundreds of Venezuelan detainees, he demonstrated a shocking example of power abuse. The fact that he was able to disregard the judicial branch and evade the repercussions of such a serious crime is just one instance of an extremely unsettling pattern in which Trump abuses his executive powers. These instances of government supremacy echo the red flags that Orwell highlighted in his books.

The Trump administration is not a totalitarian government. However, the way they violate the constitution and ignore basic human rights is moving in that direction. The point of a three-branch system is that the judicial and legislative branches have a say in different decisions, especially those surrounding the constitution.

Trump’s recent comment about how he is considering running for a third term is also disturbing breach of his presidential power. The 22nd Amendment, added to the constitution in 1951 after President Roosevelt served four consecutive terms, made it illegal for a president to serve for more than two terms. By President Trump expressing his idea of overriding this amendment, he is legally abusing his power as president, and belittling the constitution which should serve as a major wake-up call for many Americans.

On Feb. 18, the White House’s X account posted a video of an undocumented immigrant being handcuffed and led to a deportation plane. The video was captioned “ASMR: Illegal Alien Deportation Flight.” ASMR stands for Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response, and ASMR videos have come to be known as relaxing and mesmerizing for the senses. However, the message that this video conveys to the public, especially undocumented immigrants, is the idea that deportation is unserious and “de-stressing.” This is simply cruel.

“Immigrants often experience unique stresses, prejudice and constant fear of family separation due to anti-immigration policies enforced by the federal government including deportation,” Framingham Welcoming Committee said.

Not only was the White House’s X video incredibly offensive and insensitive to both documented and undocumented citizens, it is downright terrifying. The government referring to such a huge issue in such a dismissive and comical way feels like a slap in the face. Why is our government mocking immigrants through deportation?

Mishaps under the Trump Administration do not end there. On March 25, national security officials texted their plans for military action in Yemen on a secure group chat app, which included Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief for The Atlantic online newspaper. This caused an explosion of distrust for the security officials involved.

Trump’s actions were also alarming when he posted a video of “Trump Gaza.” Essentially, the AI-generated video showed a beachy city, with multiple resorts and happy residents lounging in the sun. People in the video beamed at Trump and Elon Musk as money rained down in the air, and monuments and statues were dedicated to Trump.

Gaza is not a resort. It does not belong to Trump. It is a region in active conflict, and Trump’s “political satire” did a poor job of including any elements of reality at all. This is not a satire, it’s propaganda. It’s blatantly heinous and incredibly insensitive to the real people that are suffering.

Moreover, on March 27, a Tufts University student was detained from school after she “engaged in activities in support of Hamas, a foreign terrorist organization that relishes the killing of Americans,” according to the government. This recent conflict is yet another example of the Trump administration attempting to violate the basic constitutional rights of citizens.

It is striking and frankly appalling to see just how evident some of Orwell’s warnings in “1984” are today. With the influx of media control, surveillance and desensitization, it is vital for us to understand how much control and influence the government has as we continue our everyday lives.

Upon reflection, Orwell’s dystopian world will only become more and more relevant to our society as we near the tipping point of totalitarian control. By standing up for basic rights and pushing back on what is wrong, communities can try to combat this. Furthermore, media awareness and news literacy are crucial to consumers and citizens of society, and can protect users from the harmful reach of propaganda and fake news. Practicing media literacy on the daily can protect you from any attempts at control made by the government or others.