Manchurian Candidate

Did you ever see the movie? In it, there is a scene where they are “brainwashing” him, and it is just a series of rapid-fire photos—“hate… hate…”—to condition him to assassinate the target as part of a psychological conditioning process.

Trump’s ad seems to use the same kind of rapid-fire images of Trump, with the voice in the background saying, “love him.”

When I asked an AI what classic psychological manipulation techniques were being used, it replied:

Why that can feel psychologically manipulative

    • Repeated verbal cue: “love me”

    • Repeated visual cue: Trump’s face

    • Rapid editing: little time to examine any individual image

    • Positive claims: tax cuts, manufacturing, law enforcement, etc.

    • Emotional music: rather than a neutral narration

    • Authority association: Trump speaking as president

    • Patriotic imagery: flags, military, national symbols

    • Repetition: the viewer gets the same emotional association over and over

That is classic associative persuasion: repeatedly putting a person alongside positive emotional stimuli and allowing the associations to reinforce one another.

Trump and company are saying that Biden did the same thing, but once again, Trump speaks with a forked tongue. Did the Biden administration use federal funding for ads? Yes.

So, some of Biden’s ads were (from AI ChatGPT):

    • “We Can” — people of different ages saying they were eligible for vaccination and describing their plans to get vaccinated.

    • “We All Need a Boost” — encouraged COVID booster vaccination.

    • “Yes” — connected vaccination with being able to see friends, travel, socialize, etc.

    • “Party Like It’s 2019” — used partying/concert imagery to encourage vaccination.

    • “A Common Opponent” — featured college football coaches, including Jim Harbaugh and Kirby Smart, encouraging vaccination/boosters.

Do you see any of these ads saying “love me”? Do you see anything other than legitimate PSAs?

But for me, it is not about who paid for what. It is about the outright psychological manipulation of the ad.

The number one thing that stood out to me was the imagery:

    • Trump + American flag

    • Trump + military

    • Trump + prosperity

    • Trump + cheering crowds

    • Trump + strength

    • Trump + patriotic music

All the while, “Love Me” was being said as a psychological command.

I see this as an attack by Trump on his low polling numbers, as an attempt to raise those numbers.

Taxpayers have funded nearly $1.5M in pro-Trump ads. Criticism is mounting, including from the GOP

AP News

By  ALI SWENSON

September 28, 2026

The White House has spent days fiercely defending three taxpayer-funded advertisements that glorify President Donald Trump and are nearing at least $1.5 million in public spending, calling them public service announcements like those used in past administrations.

“Don’t let the Fake News get away with their lies about our epic Public Service Announcements that have been running on tv,” White House communications director Steven Cheung posted on X on Sunday.

But the Republican administration’s ads attracted mounting criticism on Monday, including from members of Trump’s own party.

“It shouldn’t be paid for with taxpayer dollars,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told reporters.

“It would not have been something that I would have done. And I know that the White House is not covered by the same guidance that we are, but it’s not something that I would have done,” said Sen. Mike Rounds, another South Dakota Republican.

[…]

“You watch all three ads, they’re sheer propaganda,” said Richard Painter, a former White House ethics czar under Republican President George W. Bush. “This is increasingly looking like what authoritarian governments do to promote their leaders.”

The ads are right out of the authoritarian playbook!

Reuters reported:

Running ahead of midterm elections on November 3 that could reshape the balance of power in ​Washington, the ads tout American exceptionalism.

One includes the president saying “America will never be a communist country” as a chorus sings “love me” in the background. A second combines ​images of Mount Rushmore with shots of Trump on stage as he praises “the golden age of America.” A third describes “the final battle,” ⁠with Trump pledging to demolish the deep state “with you by my side.”

The "final battle" ad is nearly identical to one of Trump's campaign spots from 2024, with the exception of ​the disclaimer at the end.

The ads have appeared during both “Saturday Night Live” and NFL football games on Sunday.

They are the latest example of Trump flouting longstanding rules meant to prevent presidents ​from using the office for political gain, said Richard Painter, who served as the chief White House ethics lawyer under former President George W. Bush.

I think people are seeing the manipulation in these ads for what it is, and that may be exactly why they are backfiring on him. When people feel that someone is trying to manipulate them psychologically, our natural reaction is often to resist. Instead, people ask a very different question: Why is Trump trying so hard to make me love him?