📢Power to the People: Standing Tall Against Fascism and Fear

When the Trump administration misuses the work of artists—from Norman Rockwell to Taylor Swift—it’s not patriotism, it’s propaganda. This assault on creativity violates the law.

Freedom from Fear by Norman Rockwell. Image source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%22Freedom_from_Fear%22_-_NARA_-_513538.jpg

In a democracy, art belongs to the people—not to those in power who twist it to sell fear and cruelty. Yet under the Trump administration, we’ve seen a disturbing pattern: government agencies and campaign accounts exploiting the creative works of artists without permission to advance an extremist agenda. It’s not only embarrassing—it’s unethical, disrespectful, and, in many cases, illegal. The President of the United States and his administration have an obligation not to use works of art without the artist’s permission.

When the Department of Homeland Security posted images of Norman Rockwell’s beloved Americana paintings alongside anti-immigration messaging, Rockwell’s family spoke out. “This is a misuse of his legacy and his values,” they said, condemning the attempt to weaponize his art against the very ideals he stood for—community, compassion, and decency (New York Times). Rockwell’s paintings celebrated everyday Americans. To twist them into tools of division dishonors both the artist and the country he sought to reflect.

The same pattern has played out across cultures. Comedian Theo Von demanded the removal of a deportation video that used his clip without consent, calling it “deceptive and shameful” (Variety). Microsoft’s Halo franchise, Thomas Kinkade’s Morning Pledge, and even John Gast’s American Progress have been pulled into official posts glorifying mass deportations and “heritage” nationalism—without permission, without context, and without respect (PC Gamer, Independent, Washington Post). As The Independent reported, the Kinkade family condemned DHS for “unauthorized use of Thomas’s work” and said it violated everything he believed in about “light, faith, and hope” (The Independent).

This pattern extends into music. In October, Newsweek revealed that Trump’s social media team used a Taylor Swift track in a promotional TikTok, sparking calls for legal action (Billboard). The Associated Press documented how Kenny Loggins protested the use of “Danger Zone” in an AI video. The EW noted similar pushback when Semisonic’s “Closing Time” appeared in a deportation ad. Bruce Springsteen—long a voice for working people—has repeatedly condemned the campaign’s unauthorized use of his songs, reminding America that music born of struggle and solidarity cannot be hijacked by those who divide us (Wikipedia).

This is not artistic expression—it’s exploitation. It undermines artists’ moral rights to control how their work is used and violates copyright law. But beyond legality, it’s an assault on truth itself. It takes what was created to uplift and turns it into propaganda to dehumanize.

Art has always been the heartbeat of democracy. It inspires empathy, imagination, and courage—the very qualities authoritarianism seeks to suppress. That’s why we must defend it. The Trump administration’s misuse of cultural works is not just a legal issue—it’s a moral one. Artists and citizens alike must say: Not in our name.

We cannot allow government power to hijack creative freedom. We cannot stay silent while art, music, and stories that speak to our shared humanity are turned into tools of manipulation.

So let’s speak out, show up, and remind the world that art is resistance, not propaganda—and that the power still belongs to the people.

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