Trump's Plan Is Working: From BET's Demise to Media Manipulation and DEI's Decline

Donald Trump’s initial months back in the White House have dispelled any notion of moderation. He is not merely adhering to the Project 2025 agenda—an authoritarian framework he previously claimed ignorance of—but is implementing it with alarming accuracy. From dismantling diversity programs to undermining media autonomy, he has unleashed a torrent of white nationalist policies under the banner of federal authority. With federal regulators’ support, he has wrested control over media outlets, including those focused on the Black community. Recently, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) authorized Skydance Media's $8 billion purchase of Paramount Global, which was expedited after a $16 million settlement relating to a “60 Minutes” interview with Kamala Harris. Critics like journalist Dylan Byers see this as a financially motivated maneuver. Consequentially, BET has indefinitely suspended both the BET Hip Hop Awards and the Soul Train Awards, raising alarms over the persistent erasure of Black voices in media. Trump's maneuverings threaten to narrow cultural representation and distill it through a white nationalist lens, effectively sidelining diverse narratives in entertainment.