Latest news with #U.S.CoastGuardAcademy
Newsweek
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Kristi Noem's Immigration Game Show Would Be Appalling—and a Ratings Hit
As a former television producer with six Emmy Awards and hundreds of hours of documentary and reality-style programming under my belt, I can say with absolute certainty: if the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ever airs a competition-based reality show in which immigrants vie for U.S. citizenship, it would mark one of the most grotesque, morally bankrupt spectacles in television history—yet, in the hands of a capable producer, one of the most watchable. Not because it's good, or enlightening, or particularly inspirational, but because it would be impossible to ignore. The idea sounds dystopian—and it is—but it's also disturbingly real. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem speaks during the U.S. Coast Guard Academy's 144th Commencement in New London, Conn., on May 21, 2025. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem speaks during the U.S. Coast Guard Academy's 144th Commencement in New London, Conn., on May 21, 2025. JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images A pitch for a show called The American, reportedly from Duck Dynasty producer Rob Worsoff, is currently under early-stage review by DHS. Worsoff envisions a cross-country competition where immigrants face off in regionally themed challenges, with the winner receiving expedited U.S. citizenship in a finale staged on the steps of the Capitol. Others, presumably, go home. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem claims to have "no knowledge" of the pitch, but her spokesperson confirmed it is indeed in the "vetting process." This is classic Trump-era governance: public disavowals paired with quiet institutional complicity. Let's be clear—this isn't just some fringe producer's fever dream. It's a pitch that made it into the halls of federal power under an administration that thrives on spectacle and cruelty. Donald Trump is not just a politician who used media effectively; he is a media product himself. The Apprentice transformed him from a struggling businessman into a household brand, selling America a fantasy of boardroom power while his real-world empire teetered. He understands better than anyone alive the dark magic of competitive reality television—especially the kind built around high stakes and human drama. Under Kristi Noem, DHS has already become a kind of cosplay operation, with staged border photo-ops, tactical outfits, and viral-ready soundbites. The idea that her department would entertain a reality show isn't just plausible—it's the logical next step in the fusion of state power and entertainment. In this administration, performative cruelty isn't a glitch in the system, it's the feature. As many have pointed out throughout Trump's political rise: the cruelty is the point. The premise of The American is chilling in its simplicity. A curated group of immigrants—described as "good candidates"—travel the country, competing in skill and culture-based challenges. The winner gets fast-tracked citizenship. The rest? Worsoff insists "nobody loses," but that's fiction. For many, losing means deportation. It could mean separation from their families. It could mean being sent back to countries ravaged by war, gang violence, political persecution, or climate catastrophe. For some contestants, being sent home could be a death sentence. Unlike Survivor, Beast Games, or Fear Factor, where risk is manufactured and contestants are protected behind layers of liability coverage and safety personnel, The American would toy with actual lives. The prize isn't a cash bonus or a modeling contract—it's legal status. And the right to remain in the only place a family may have left. And for those who don't "win"? They're not just voted off the island—they may be deported, sent back to the very conditions they were desperately fleeing. And let's be honest: no producer is greenlighting a feel-good segment about some banker on an L1 visa returning to Norway or the U.K. What makes for gripping television—what would drive the ratings—is the peril. Most of these contestants aren't going to be high-paid expats; they're people who risked everything to escape war zones, cartel-dominated communities, political persecution, or the grip of human trafficking. Reality television has always relied on emotional stakes: heartbreak, tension, drama. But even at its worst, it stopped short of weaponizing actual human suffering. In this case, the suffering is the drama. That's what would make it so watchable—and so dangerous. It would package trauma and desperation into digestible weekly episodes, framed as faux inspiration. In truth, it would trivialize and commoditize one of the most difficult, dehumanizing processes in American life: immigration. The show's defenders posit that it's a "love letter to America." That's like calling a mugging a "meet-cute." But I know this show would be a huge hit. In today's fractured media landscape, outrage is currency. Spectacle sells. And The American would dominate social feeds and spark endless commentary. Viewers would argue over who "deserves" to become American. And that's what makes this moment so dangerous. Because this isn't just about a bad idea floating through DHS. It's about a broader collapse of the boundaries between government and entertainment, policy and programming, democracy and drama. In Trump's America, the line between a campaign rally and a reality show has already vanished. And this pitch—whether or not it's greenlit—is a natural outgrowth of that cultural rot. We used to fear a future where "bread and circuses" distracted the public from real issues. Now, we're designing the circus to decide who gets the bread. And we're doing it with lights, cameras, and an elimination round. Arick Wierson is a six-time Emmy Award-winning television producer and served as a senior media and political adviser to former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. He advises corporate clients on communications strategies in the United States, Africa, and Latin America. The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
At Coast Guard Academy graduation, Kristi Noem talks as protesters gather
U.S. Homeland Security Sec. Kristi Noem delivered the keynote address at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy's 2025 commencement. She said the Trump administration plans to 'transform' the Coast Guard. (Photo by USCGA via YouTube) As U.S. Coast Guard Academy cadets and their families arrived on the New London campus in Connecticut Wednesday morning for graduation, protesters filled nearby McKinley Park to voice their opposition to the academy's commencement speaker, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. 'Congratulations!' the protesters called out to the cadets and their family members as they passed by on the sidewalk. Some of the graduation attendees thanked the protesters for their presence outside the academy. The protesters carried signs calling out various actions by the Trump administration, including the unlawful deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia to El Salvador, the Trump administration's cuts to veterans services, the recent federal budget proposal that includes cuts to Medicaid, the administration's position on Ukraine and the detention of Mahmoud Khalil, a former Columbia University student who played a strong role in pro-Palestinian protests. While demonstrators protested right outside of the campus, Noem got a polite and warm reception from Cadet Memorial Field as she delivered a 20-minute keynote address. 'You're the first graduating class of a brand new Coast Guard,' Noem said. 'I want to share with you today what part of President Trump's vision is for the future of this force. With your help, President Trump and I are going to make America's Coast Guard the strongest, the most capable, the also most effective military service in the entire government.' She highlighted recent conversations with President Donald J. Trump from the Oval Office about the needs of the Coast Guard, which, unlike other military branches, is overseen by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. And she detailed how the administration plans to 'transform' the service through a new effort called 'Force Design 2028.' Protesters, meanwhile, uniformly told The Connecticut Mirror they had no problem with the Coast Guard. In fact, they expressed admiration for the service. '[I] highly respect the Coast Guard,' said Janet Bannister of Coventry. 'I've known a lot of young people who have made it through. I'm just so proud of them. So yes, we hope it's clear to people that we are pro-Coast Guard and celebrating the graduates, but … here we are.' Montville resident Linda Ness said she was against the current federal budget proposal, particularly cuts to Medicaid and the amount of money it would add to the national debt. 'It's where they're putting their money. It has nothing to do with the country['s] needs and the people. They're taking care of corporations, they're taking care of the ultra-wealthy. That's not democracy,' she said. Ness held a sign listing police, fire departments, hospitals and utilities as some of the benefits that the wealthy use and said she was opposed to the idea of them receiving tax cuts. Claudia Allen, a resident of Thompson, told CT Mirror that she'd been attending protests since Ronald Reagan was elected president. ' My son was sent to Iraq, and I'm a peace activist. That was horrifying, with George Bush. But even that, there were some people who were competent and who were not aligned [with] him instead of the U.S. Constitution,' said Allen. 'This is the Constitution state, and she's not upholding the Constitution, nor is that administration. That's a big reason that I'm here.' Immigration enforcement was another common theme among the protesters. They mentioned the violation of court orders, instances of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement apprehending people, and deportations to countries like El Salvador and South Sudan without due process. '[The administration] is so incompetent,' said Denise Weinschenker of Salem. ' He was supposed to drain the swamp. Instead he went into the swamp and pulled all those people out.' Joanne Sheehan, one of the protest's organizers and a member of the Unify & Resist Coalition, told CT Mirror that they have organized protests in the past against U.S. Coast Guard Academy commencement speakers. She said they had counted 250 people present at the protest today but estimated that there were more. Sheehan said the protests were different sizes each year. Some years, only a few dozen people showed up, and others counted protesters in the hundreds. The largest, she said, was the spring after Trump was elected for the first time. Other protesters mentioned the abrupt firing of Admiral Linda Lee Fagan in late January, a day after Trump's inauguration. They criticized the administration for Fagan's dismissal, noting that she was the first woman to lead a branch of the U.S. Armed Forces and praising her focus on diversity in the Coast Guard. 'Sexual assault has been endemic and such a problem here. And they finally get someone to clean it up, and he fires her immediately. Day one,' said Mystic resident Martha Crum. The firing drew condemnation from some of Connecticut's congressional delegation at the time. DHS officials cited issues with deployment of the Coast Guard to assist with border security, dissatisfaction with recruitment and retention, efforts surrounding diversity, equity and inclusion policies, and cost overruns on icebreakers and helicopters used in the Arctic region. They also raised concerns about the handling of Operation Fouled Anchor, an investigation into decades of sexual misconduct claims at the Coast Guard Academy and past leaders' decisions not to disclose a report about it to Congress. Fagan did not serve as commandant at that time but had apologized for not acting on it until CNN broke the story in 2023. In addition to a shift in top leadership, the Coast Guard and its New London service academy have already undergone other structural changes. Since Trump's executive order taking aim at DEI policies, the Coast Guard has shuttered a number of DEI-related programs and offices, including the Academy's Office of Culture and Climate. The Coast Guard had prioritized DEI as a way to boost recruitment and retention among cadets as well as within the force. In a Coast Guard Academy diversity report submitted to Congress in 2024, Fagan wrote that such initiatives show progress was made 'in attracting a workforce that is representative of the nation and preparing culturally competent leaders for the future.' Recruitment was a big part of Noem's keynote address Wednesday, pointing out the current shortfalls in the enlisted workforce as well as ships with incomplete crews. According to Admiral Kevin Lunday, who is currently serving as acting commandant, the Coast Guard has surpassed its annual recruitment goal and has so far recruited 4,700 new members, Noem said. Since Trump's executive order taking aim at DEI policies, the Coast Guard has shuttered a number of DEI-related programs and offices, including the Academy's Office of Culture and Climate. Along with recruitment, Noem said, 'Force Design 2028' will aim to reorganize the service by reducing the number of admirals by 25%, replacing outdated technology, fixing crumbling infrastructure and increasing the number of icebreakers. She said the goal over the next four years is to increase the size of the Coast Guard by at least 15,000 personnel. 'Those needs represent the biggest Coast Guard readiness crisis that we have seen since World War II,' Noem said. 'That may have been the Coast Guard of the past, but that will not be the Coast Guard of the future.' As her speech concluded, Noem made an initially unplanned announcement about the new leadership team at the Coast Guard. Among other promotions, Lunday will now be nominated for the commandant role permanently. He spoke shortly before Noem and praised the administration for its 'inspiring leadership and remarkable advocacy' of the Coast Guard. This article first appeared on CT Mirror and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
21-05-2025
- Politics
Promising reform, Noem tells US Coast Guard Academy graduates they will lead a 'brand new' service
The U.S. Coast Guard is facing its largest readiness crisis since World War II, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Wednesday as she promised an overhaul of the service that she called the 'point of the spear' in the nation's defense. Noem, the keynote speaker at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy's commencement, outlined the Trump administration's plans to increase the service's military workforce by at least 15,000 by the end of fiscal year 2028. The plan also calls for reducing the number of admirals by 25%, boosting recruiting efforts and increasing the fleet, including icebreakers that are used in the Arctic. 'A new chapter for America's Coast Guard, one like we have never seen before, starts right now,' she told the 256 cadets, who became newly minted officers from the prestigious service academy in New London, Connecticut. Noem spoke of the Coast Guard being 10% short of its enlisted workforce goals and relying on outdated aircraft and ships, some sailing with 75% of the needed crew members. She recalled a meeting with President Donald Trump, who she said asked what the Coast Guard needed. 'I said sir, they need everything,' Noem said. 'They've been neglected for too long.' The Coast Guard has more than 43,000 active duty members, 8,000 reservists, and 30,000 auxiliary members. 'We are on the edge of transformational change,' said Adm. Kevin E. Lunday, who Noem announced Wednesday will become the service's new commandant. Lunday has been the service's acting commandant since Jan. 21, after Trump fired former Commandant Adm. Linda Fagan, the first female leader of the Coast Guard. The administration's modernization plan, called Force Design 2028, officially takes effect on Wednesday, Noem said. Besides increasing the workforce, it calls for the appointment of a dedicated civilian leader to oversee the 234-year-old maritime service, essentially mirroring how the other branches of the U.S. military are led at the Pentagon. Nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate, the proposed Coast Guard Service Secretary within the Homeland Security Department would advocate for a service 'weakened by decades of underinvestment, neglect and strategic drift,' and create a new level of accountability, according to the plan released Wednesday. Such a change would require congressional approval. Currently, there is at least one bill before Congress that would create such a position. 'Creating a Secretary of the Coast Guard ensures they have the leadership, resources, and support they need to continue their vital missions,' said the bill's author, Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Ezell of Mississippi, chair of the House Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee, in a recent written statement. 'It's time we give the Coast Guard the same level of recognition and advocacy that other military branches receive.' Control of the Coast Guard was officially transferred from the U.S. Department of Transportation to DHS in 2003. The Commandant of the Coast Guard, a four-star admiral and the highest ranking Coast Guard officer, is now tasked with leading the service. The Coast Guard competes for attention with more than a dozen components of the DHS, including U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Under the Trump administration's plan, the appointment of a secretary, accountable to the president and the DHS secretary and subject to congressional oversight, presents an opportunity to reform the service's organizational structure. 'The Coast Guard must be able to conduct its missions and deliver results without being mired in wasteful bureaucracy,' the report reads. Many of the service academy graduates cheered the promised reforms during Wednesday's commencement. Cadet Veronica Krystofik of Colchester, Conn., who was named the Distinguished Graduate of the class of 2025, said Force Design 2028 marks 'the most significant shift in a century.' 'But I'm not worried because I know exactly who is stepping up to that challenge. Our class,' she said. Six international students also graduated on Wednesday. They will return to their native countries' maritime services.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Promising reform, Noem tells US Coast Guard Academy graduates they will lead a 'brand new' service
The U.S. Coast Guard is facing its largest readiness crisis since World War II, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Wednesday as she promised an overhaul of the service that she called the 'point of the spear' in the nation's defense. Noem, the keynote speaker at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy's commencement, outlined the Trump administration's plans to increase the service's military workforce by at least 15,000 by the end of fiscal year 2028. The plan also calls for reducing the number of admirals by 25%, boosting recruiting efforts and increasing the fleet, including icebreakers that are used in the Arctic. 'A new chapter for America's Coast Guard, one like we have never seen before, starts right now,' she told the 256 cadets, who became newly minted officers from the prestigious service academy in New London, Connecticut. Noem spoke of the Coast Guard being 10% short of its enlisted workforce goals and relying on outdated aircraft and ships, some sailing with 75% of the needed crew members. She recalled a meeting with President Donald Trump, who she said asked what the Coast Guard needed. 'I said sir, they need everything,' Noem said. 'They've been neglected for too long.' Big change is afoot The Coast Guard has more than 43,000 active duty members, 8,000 reservists, and 30,000 auxiliary members. 'We are on the edge of transformational change,' said Adm. Kevin E. Lunday, who Noem announced Wednesday will become the service's new commandant. Lunday has been the service's acting commandant since Jan. 21, after Trump fired former Commandant Adm. Linda Fagan, the first female leader of the Coast Guard. The administration's modernization plan, called Force Design 2028, officially takes effect on Wednesday, Noem said. Besides increasing the workforce, it calls for the appointment of a dedicated civilian leader to oversee the 234-year-old maritime service, essentially mirroring how the other branches of the U.S. military are led at the Pentagon. Nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate, the proposed Coast Guard Service Secretary within the Homeland Security Department would advocate for a service 'weakened by decades of underinvestment, neglect and strategic drift,' and create a new level of accountability, according to the plan released Wednesday. Such a change would require congressional approval. Currently, there is at least one bill before Congress that would create such a position. 'Creating a Secretary of the Coast Guard ensures they have the leadership, resources, and support they need to continue their vital missions,' said the bill's author, Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Ezell of Mississippi, chair of the House Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee, in a recent written statement. 'It's time we give the Coast Guard the same level of recognition and advocacy that other military branches receive.' Coast Guard is now under Homeland Security Control of the Coast Guard was officially transferred from the U.S. Department of Transportation to DHS in 2003. The Commandant of the Coast Guard, a four-star admiral and the highest ranking Coast Guard officer, is now tasked with leading the service. The Coast Guard competes for attention with more than a dozen components of the DHS, including U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Under the Trump administration's plan, the appointment of a secretary, accountable to the president and the DHS secretary and subject to congressional oversight, presents an opportunity to reform the service's organizational structure. 'The Coast Guard must be able to conduct its missions and deliver results without being mired in wasteful bureaucracy,' the report reads. Many of the service academy graduates cheered the promised reforms during Wednesday's commencement. Cadet Veronica Krystofik of Colchester, Conn., who was named the Distinguished Graduate of the class of 2025, said Force Design 2028 marks 'the most significant shift in a century.' 'But I'm not worried because I know exactly who is stepping up to that challenge. Our class,' she said. Six international students also graduated on Wednesday. They will return to their native countries' maritime services. ___
Toronto Star
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Toronto Star
Promising reform, Noem tells US Coast Guard Academy graduates they will lead a ‘brand new' service
The U.S. Coast Guard is facing its largest readiness crisis since World War II, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Wednesday as she promised an overhaul of the service that she called the 'point of the spear' in the nation's defense. Noem, the keynote speaker at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy's commencement, outlined the Trump administration's plans to increase the service's military workforce by at least 15,000 by the end of fiscal year 2028. The plan also calls for reducing the number of admirals by 25%, boosting recruiting efforts and increasing the fleet, including icebreakers that are used in the Arctic.
