President Donald Trump’s Department of Homeland Security is using social media to reach tens of millions of Americans weekly, aiming to communicate directly with the public rather than relying on traditional news outlets, according to Breitbart.
The agency has seen explosive growth in online engagement since Trump took office in January.
According to figures shared with Breitbart News, DHS’s weekly social media impressions climbed from 3.5 million in February to more than 46 million in July. Officials say the approach mirrors Trump’s communication style, which relies heavily on direct, spin-free outreach to voters, rather than relying on the typically biased legacy media platforms.
DHS officials argued that the surge in engagement validates the president’s long-standing belief that directly communicating with Americans is the most effective way to connect. “This growth is proof that a direct-to-Americans strategy, as the president has long done, is the most effective way to engage with the public,” one official told Breitbart News.
At the same time, major legacy media outlets have criticized the department’s social media posts.
CNN accused DHS of appealing to “white identity,” while the Washington Post ran a headline declaring, “DHS is posting Americana paintings and migrant mug shots. The art world is not happy.”
NBC News and ABC News have also published stories scrutinizing the department’s online presence.
Supporters of the strategy contend that the establishment media focuses more on attacking DHS messaging than reporting on crimes tied to illegal immigration. They point to several high-profile cases in recent months that received little or no coverage in national outlets.
Among them was the case of Wisconsin teenagers Hallie Helgeson, 18, and Brady Heiling, 19, killed in a drunk driving crash allegedly caused by an illegal immigrant.
In New Jersey, 42-year-old Maria Pleitez and her 11-year-old daughter, Dayanara Cortes, died in a head-on collision that authorities say was caused by an illegal immigrant with multiple traffic violations.
In Louisiana, 59-year-old Rickey Maddox was killed this month in Avoyelles Parish, reportedly by an illegal immigrant accused of driving drunk.
The contrast between DHS’s social media reach and the coverage — or lack thereof — by liberal mainstream outlets underscores the Trump administration’s broader communications battle with corporate media. By leaning on digital platforms, officials believe they can more effectively highlight immigration enforcement, border security, and public safety concerns without relying on what they describe as hostile intermediaries.
The rapid rise in DHS engagement suggests that millions of Americans are paying closer attention to the department’s direct messaging than to traditional reporting. For Trump, whose political brand has long emphasized bypassing establishment media, the agency’s success marks another extension of that strategy into federal communication.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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