‘What I voted for’: Trumpers cheer ‘based’ ASMR video of immigrants being cuffed
The White House’s social media team released an ASMR video using footage from a deportation flight of allegedly undocumented migrants, exciting young, right-wing edgelords and disgusting just about everyone else.
The video, which has racked up 63.8 million views on X and 2.6 million views on Instagram Reels as of Wednesday morning, shows uniformed agents restraining several people in handcuffs, ankle cuffs, and a torso chain before loading them onto a plane.
No faces are visible in the footage.
Viewers can hear ambient noise from the plane and the chains, which mimics ASMR videos some people use for relaxation and sleep.
Elon Musk was a fan.
“So based,” the tech mogul wrote on X.
Some younger MAGA supporters also cheered the video, using a meme of Patrick Bateman, the fictional serial killer played by Christian Bale in American Psycho, wearing headphones and listening to music.
“Got what I voted for award,” replied the popular user Josiah Lippincott, who regularly posts edgy, racially charged content for his tens of thousands of followers.
“Holy crap,” wrote the political commentator Evan Kilgore, “I love this administration.”
The video was less effective at entertaining those who aren’t part of the very online conservative set.
“This is disgraceful and embarrassing,” wrote one X user. “Celebrating policy wins is fine, even when it involves deporting people. But this is sadistic and immature.”
“If you guys could stick with the grim shock and awe, and leave the edgy gloating to those of us who don’t work in the White House,” another reply read. “I think that would probably be better for optics.”
“You can be pro deportation and still have a heart,” the popular Substacker Aella wrote on X. “This is fucked.”
Others put their response in even simpler terms.
“This is weird,” said one X user.
President Donald Trump has kept the identities of the White House’s social media staffers under wraps, making it difficult to pinpoint who dreamed up the surreal ASMR video, as calls to ID them grew online.
Under former President Joe Biden, the White House ran an Office of Digital Strategy, which was responsible for communications across digital platforms.
The Trump administration has announced no hires to replace the outgoing social media strategists, instead giving a coterie of young staffers generic communications titles under Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications Taylor Budowich, who is still in his 20s.
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