Honestly, walking through the capital in early 2026 feels a little different than it did a few years ago. You’ve probably noticed it in the headlines or maybe just in the way people are talking—or not talking—about politics lately. There’s this heavy sense that the Trump administration takes an Orwellian turn every time a new executive order hits the Federal Register. It isn't just about partisan bickering anymore. We are seeing a fundamental shift in how the government handles information, history, and even the words we’re allowed to use in official documents.
George Orwell’s 1984 used to be a book we read in high school to feel grateful we lived in a free society. Now, it’s becoming a bit of a field guide. When you see the Department of Education being dismantled by executive decree or federal agents in tactical gear rappelling from helicopters in Chicago, it’s hard not to feel like the line between fiction and reality is getting pretty blurry.
The War on Language and the New "Ministry of Truth"
You might remember the "alternative facts" era from a decade ago. That was just the warm-up. In 2025 and moving into 2026, the administration has moved toward a more systematic "Trumpspeak."
Earlier this year, reports surfaced that federal employees were being handed lists of forbidden words. We aren't talking about technical jargon. We are talking about basic concepts. Terms like "diversity," "equality," "equity," and even "climate change" have been scrubbed from various agency websites. In one of the more bizarre instances that felt straight out of a satirical novel, NASA was reportedly ordered to remove mentions of "women in leadership" from its digital archives.
Even the past isn't safe.
The Smithsonian Institution, which most of us think of as the nation’s "attic," is currently undergoing a "systematic review" of its exhibits. The goal? To ensure they reflect what the administration calls "Americanism." Critics, including the Organization of American Historians, argue this is a direct attempt to rewrite history by suppressing the voices of marginalized groups.
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If you control the past, you control the future. Orwell wrote that, and the current administration seems to have taken it to heart. By removing references to historical figures or events that don't fit a specific narrative, they aren't just changing a museum exhibit; they are changing the national memory.
Surveillance and the Data Dragnet
It’s not just about what we say; it’s about what the government knows about us. In late 2025, a massive controversy erupted when it was revealed that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) had started sharing Medicaid and SNAP (food stamp) recipient data with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Think about that for a second.
People who signed up for healthcare or food assistance under the promise of privacy are now seeing their personal data used as a roadmap for deportation squads. California Attorney General Rob Bonta has been fighting this in court, calling it a "thinly veiled attempt" to bypass legal protections.
Then there’s the tech side. The administration has been pushing for a "national policy framework" for Artificial Intelligence. On the surface, it sounds like standard tech policy. But when you dig into the executive orders, there’s a heavy emphasis on preventing "censorship" of "truthful outputs"—which basically means the government wants to ensure AI models don't contradict the official administration line.
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Militarization of the Streets
Perhaps the most visible sign that the Trump administration takes an Orwellian turn is the deployment of federal forces in American cities. In October 2025, the administration justified sending the National Guard and Marines into Los Angeles and Chicago by claiming there was an "invasion from within."
There was no invasion.
But as George Orwell noted, the goal of a totalitarian regime isn't just to make you believe a lie—it’s to make you reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. When ICE agents conduct nighttime raids in residential neighborhoods using Blackhawks, it creates a "culture of fear." This isn't just about law enforcement; it’s about a display of power.
The ACLU has already filed dozens of lawsuits—over 200 in the first year of the term alone—trying to "defeat, delay, or dilute" these policies. They recently filed a class-action suit in Minnesota after U.S. citizens were tackled and detained by federal agents while doing ordinary things like shoveling snow.
Why This Matters for 2026
We are entering a period of "radical uncertainty." That’s how author Rebecca Solnit describes it. The administration is getting more reckless as it faces legal pushback and dipping popularity.
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- The "Memory Hole": Information is disappearing from the internet faster than we can archive it.
- Targeted Enforcement: Federal power is being used to punish political "enemies," including law firms like Perkins Coie.
- The Influencer Front: The White House is now using a network of "Trump-friendly" social media influencers to bypass traditional news and push their narrative directly into your feed.
This isn't just a "Republican vs. Democrat" thing. It’s a "state vs. reality" thing. When the government decides that it gets to define what is true, what is historical, and what words are legal, the foundation of a free society starts to crack.
How to Navigate an Orwellian Landscape
So, what do you actually do when you feel like you're living in a dystopian novel? You can't just opt out of reality, but you can protect your slice of it.
First, diversify your info. If you're getting all your news from one platform or a specific set of influencers, you're vulnerable to the narrative shift. Use tools like the Wayback Machine to see what’s been deleted from government sites.
Second, support the "Firewall." Groups like the ACLU and various state attorneys general are the only things standing between executive orders and their full implementation. They've had about a 65% success rate so far in slowing down the most extreme policies.
Third, keep your own records. In an era of the "memory hole," personal archives matter. Don't assume the digital version of a document or a history page will be there tomorrow.
The most important thing to remember is that "Big Brother" only wins when people stop caring about the difference between a fact and a "truth" dictated by the state. Staying informed and insisting on objective reality is the best defense we've got.
Next Steps for Staying Informed:
- Use the Wayback Machine (archive.org) to track changes to federal agency websites.
- Follow the ACLU’s "Firewall for Freedom" reports to see which state-level protections are still in place.
- Support local, independent journalism that isn't reliant on federal access or influencer networks.