In March 2026, Jacob Siegel’s book, The Information State: Politics in the Age of Total Control, is poised to be a critical milestone in U.S. political discourse. Siegel, a journalist for Tablet, presents a troubling narrative about how the response to Donald Trump’s presidency led to a system of censorship, monitoring, and false narratives that threaten democracy.
Siegel argues that Trump’s election turned politics into a form of warfare, framing tens of millions of Americans as adversaries. In the aftermath, various public-private organizations emerged to combat “disinformation,” which Siegel claims were involved in spying and censorship, aiming to control what citizens could read and think.
He highlights a widespread expert consensus behind flawed narratives, particularly the claims of Russian interference in U.S. politics. Key figures, including former intelligence officials and politicians, engaged in what Siegel terms “hybrid warfare,” targeting populist movements as security threats.
President Obama’s initiatives, including the Countering Foreign Propaganda and Disinformation Act, set up structures for enforcing a party line against disinformation and, in effect, coordinated opposition to Trump. Social media platforms were pressured to comply with this emerging authority, leading to further manipulation of information and public perception.
Siegel criticizes the media for perpetuating the disinformation narrative, especially regarding the Hunter Biden laptop story, which was suppressed on social media. He observes that this new information landscape aimed not merely to influence public opinion but to control it entirely.
Ultimately, Siegel argues that the situation surrounding “Russiagate” represents a crime against the nation, blurring lines between public and private interests and eroding democratic principles. He contends that this information war, disguised as a defense against foreign threats, unjustly attacked American citizens’ rights and free expression.
