Netizens Agree After Official Says US is ‘Led by Its Own Propaganda’: ‘Trump and Biden Are Deluded’

A recent statement by Tony Shaffer, a former defense intelligence officer turned Trump adviser, has sparked a hailstorm of debate on social media. Shaffer, speaking on The Duran , asserted that America is now ‘led by its own propaganda,’ with intelligence agencies colluding with the political class to ‘reinforce narratives’ rather than seek out the reality.

One user, @ RnaudBertrand wrote, “While I’m not a big fan of the guy, what Tony Shaffer (a former defense intelligence officer who became a Trump adviser) says here on The Duran is right on the money. He describes an America that’s now led by its own propaganda, where 3-letter agencies have become unholy allies of the political class to become “reinforcers of narratives”, rather than seeking truth from facts.”

The user further added, “Which is very dangerous and goes a long way to explain much of the insanity coming out of the US right now: never buy your own propaganda, otherwise policy then becomes completely out of touch, based on ideology rather than the reality of the world. Which means it’s at best ineffective and at worst utterly destructive.”

Bertrand continued, “The sad truth however, and where I’d probably disagree with Shaffer, is that there is no better camp in that regard in the US right now. Both Trump and Biden are similarly deluded, alongside their networks of operatives.”

Bertrand concluded, “They can see the other side is completely propagandized, and can speak quite cogently to that as Shaffer illustrates, but they can rarely see it in themselves. William J. Casey, the Director of Central Intelligence from 1981 to 1987, once said that “We’ll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false”. I’m afraid we’re pretty much there, including with regard to themselves.”

Shaffer’s comments struck a chord with many netizens, who took to social media to express their agreement. One wrote, “Right, there is no such thing as lesser evil between those two. No sign of statesmanship at all. Unfortunately, America turns into an unserious great power thanks to its unwise elites.”

Another user chimed in, “Pretty much the essence of my (poorly understood) “commentary” yesterday. What can I say? I’m too obscure and subtle?  Or elegantly brilliant?” In agreement, one user tweeted, “This is why mass media diversity away from rich elites’ monopoly is essential, even for human species survival. We need to give citizens a media sector they alone control without corruption of big money – ie a Commons. Not hard to do.” Others also slammed, “And I think most of the people in America are oblivious to what’s happening around them. One day, they will wake up and find out its too late to get their freedom and rights back.”

The discussion around Shaffer’s remarks underscores a broader spectrum of disillusionment with the current political landscape in the US. Still, as per the reports of Forbes , Former President Donald Trump , despite his controversies, has widened his lead over President Joe Biden in recent polls. A New York Times/ Siena College survey highlighted Trump leading Biden by six points, recording his widest lead since his first presidential campaign in 2015. The poll also revealed that more than half of Democrats viewed Biden as too old to be president, with prominent concerns about his ability to effectively lead the nation.