Why Does Everyone Think We’re Living in a Paul Verhoeven Movie?

In a minute-long Department of Homeland Security video, men in fatigues rappel from a helicopter at night and climb the stairs to an unremarkable building, all captured in thermal imaging so the chopper seems to be on fire. A gothic caption—“Blessed are the peacemakers”—appears over the footage.

The clip is one of many recruitment pieces that have multiplied since the start of Donald Trump’s second term; while the Department of Defense spent more than $1 billion on advertising in 2023, the new D.H.S. efforts aim to expand a relatively young law enforcement agency, and U.S.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement reportedly planned $100 million in 2026 for “wartime recruitment.” These ads also feel different in tone. A commercial featuring D.H.S. Secretary Kristi Noem promoting the C.B.P. Home app shows her before a glowing red tactical map and rotating digitized globes, framed by cropped clips of border crossings.

United States

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