“Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.”
— George Orwell, 1984
In Orwell’s seminal dystopian novel 1984, the Ministry of Truth doesn’t just lie—it rewrites. It alters the public record to suit the present needs of the ruling Party. Facts are malleable. Language is weaponized. Memory itself becomes suspect.
This isn’t just fiction anymore. Recent reports surrounding President Trump’s actions during his current and past terms draw striking parallels to Orwell’s imagined totalitarian playbook—particularly in the areas of rewriting history, controlling information, and reshaping institutions to reflect political will.
📉 When the Data Doesn’t Fit: Fire the Statistician
One of the clearest examples came in August 2025, when Trump fired the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Commissioner Erika McEntarfer after a jobs report fell short of his expectations. The report showed only 73,000 jobs added in July, with previous months revised downward. Trump called the numbers "phony" and accused the agency—without evidence—of sabotage. Within hours, McEntarfer was dismissed.
What's more troubling is who he nominated in her place: E.J. Antoni, a politically aligned critic of the BLS methodology. Economists and watchdogs warned this was more than a personnel change—it was a politicization of truth. When statistical agencies lose their independence, data becomes narrative, not reality.
Just as 1984's Ministry of Truth routinely alters past economic reports to match current claims, this act signaled an intent to reshape reality to fit political goals, not the other way around.
🖼 Cleansing the Museums: Erasing Inconvenient Truths
Beyond the numbers, Trump has taken steps to rewrite cultural memory, too. Earlier this year, the White House ordered a sweeping review of content in eight major Smithsonian museums, seeking to remove what it deemed “divisive” or “ideological” narratives. The National Museum of American History quietly removed mentions of Trump’s two impeachments from its presidential exhibits—without public explanation.
Orwell envisioned this exact tactic. In 1984, people and events are erased—“unpersoned”—from records once they no longer serve the regime. Today, the concern isn’t about a fictional authoritarian Party—it’s about a U.S. president influencing how history is publicly remembered.
🎖 The Nobel and the Narrative
Perhaps most symbolically, Trump recently called Norway’s finance minister out of the blue to express that he wants to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. This request wasn't about diplomacy—it was about legacy.
In 1984, truth is whatever the Party says it is. Similarly, Trump’s actions suggest a belief that assertion can override evidence, that awards can be pursued through power, not merit, and that narratives can be imposed rather than earned.
🔍 1984 vs. 2025: A Comparison
| Orwell’s 1984 | Trump Administration Actions |
|---|---|
| Ministry of Truth alters past news and stats | BLS Commissioner fired after bad jobs report |
| Newspeak limits thought by limiting vocabulary | Dismissing legitimate data as “rigged,” simplifying debate |
| History rewritten to favor the Party | Museum exhibits altered to remove impeachments |
| Power rewarded with unquestioned praise | Cold-call to foreign diplomat to pursue Nobel Prize |
🧠 Why It Matters
Orwell warned us not just about overt dictatorships—but about creeping normalization of truth distortion. When a leader can fire data scientists for telling the truth, or erase events from the nation's historical displays, or demand legacy-defining awards outright, the danger isn’t merely political—it’s epistemological.
The fight for truth isn’t won in a courtroom or election—it’s fought every day in archives, media, and memory.
“The past was erased, the erasure was forgotten, the lie became the truth.”