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| SPECIAL SECTION: Trump’s Address to Congress |
| President Donald Trump opened and closed his first address to Congress with the same message: his second term will usher in a "golden age" of America. Trump outlined actions on issues ranging from immigration to health, and employed falsehoods, decontextualized tidbits of truth and outright manipulative communications tactics to drive his points home. DDIA breaks down the narratives, claims, and tactics below.
At least 18 false, misleading or exaggerated claims were spotted and fact-checked in English and Spanish by PolitiFact, FactChequeado, The Washington Post Fact Checker, NPR and ABC News. Harness their verifications and explainers to defend against claims that include: False: “Social Security databases show 3.5 million people from ages 140 to 149 and money is being paid to many of them." False: “21 million people poured into the United States, many of them murderers, human traffickers, gang members.” False: “Europe has spent more money buying Russian Oil and Gas than they have spent on defending Ukraine — by far!”
DDIA also detected various manipulation tactics deployed by Trump to reinforce his message and rally his base. Calling out techniques can be an effective way to counter disinformation. The U.S. president leaned heavily into polarization, claiming several times that Democrats would never be satisfied with his actions. Trump used emotional language, including alliterative phrases and memorable slogans, to characterize (or mischaracterize) various organizations and/or policies. Trump engaged in scapegoating, attributing current economic struggles (such as high egg prices) solely to Biden administration policies, ignoring broader economic factors. And finally, used false dichotomies to position himself as the only defender of rational governance.
Some of the topics DDIA observed as being highly discussed by the Latino community on digital spaces during the seven days were also mentioned by Trump last night. Details below.
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| | Key Narrative 1 - [UKRAINE] The tense meeting between Trump and Zelensky at the White House divided Latinos online, with supporters praising Trump’s leadership and critics denouncing his authoritarian rhetoric. Reactions to images of Ukraine’s ambassador further fueled contrasting interpretations of the meeting, highlighting how political bias shapes the understanding of diplomatic and political moments.
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| | Key Narrative 2 - [IMMIGRATION] Trump’s proposed “Gold Card” visa for wealthy immigrants and the controversial Alien Registration Requirement are fueling confusion and concern among Latino communities online, exacerbating a divide between affluent and working-class migrants. In Congress, Trump defended the “gold card” as being a better version of the “green card.”
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| | Key Narrative 3 - [MEXICO] In a bid to avoid high tariffs, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum authorized the extradition of 29 drug traffickers to the U.S. Despite this move, U.S. threats of military intervention and the imposition of tariffs have fueled intense nationalist reactions in Mexico, with even right-wing news commentators viewing the administration’s actions as a potential violation of sovereignty.
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| | [TELEGRAM WATCH] Conspiracy theories and propaganda targeting Ukrainian President Zelensky have been rapidly spreading on Spanish-language Telegram channels, with users falsely accusing him of “hiding U.S. pedophiles,” “rejecting a peace deal under pressure from Obama-era officials,” and “forcibly recruiting young men for an ‘unwinnable war.’” These fringe narratives, largely unchecked on the platform, align with pro-Russia agendas and could soon reach wider audiences on mainstream platforms. Keep an eye on them, but do not engage yet.
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| | KEY NARRATIVE #1 - UKRAINE |
| | U.S. Latinos React to Oval Office Showdown |
| The Trump Administration’s confrontational meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House last Friday sparked heated debate in Spanish among Latinos online, with reactions falling along two clear ideological lines. For right-leaning Latinos, the clash was seen as proof of Trump’s “strong leadership,” while for left-leaning Latinos, it highlighted his increasingly authoritarian and dangerous rhetoric.
Spanish-speaking social media channels and users quickly spread the Oval Office videos across platforms. On TikTok, a single recording with captions in Spanish (by LatinUS) amassed 1.59 million interactions in less than a day.
Trump supporters took to social media to amplify the claim that Zelensky showed “disrespect” to the U.S. by failing to thank the country for its support and not being open to signing a peace treaty with the U.S. as a broker. The phrase “Zelensky debía llegar de rodillas a la Casa Blanca, implorando ayuda” (“Zelensky should enter the White House on his knees, begging for help”) trended among pro-Trump voices, who saw the meeting as an example of Trump’s hardline foreign policy.
Far-right figures, such as Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna from Florida, seized the moment to push for an end to U.S. aid to Ukraine and a total withdrawal from NATO.
On the other hand, many Latinos compared Trump’s aggressive rhetoric to that of authoritarian leaders in Latin America, also arguing that his comments mirrored the Kremlin’s stance on Ukraine. Posts suggested that Trump’s handling of the meeting reflected a White House aligned with anti-democratic regimes that do not tolerate differences. These critics accused the former president of turning the encounter into “a show,” creating “a scandal,” and “copying—word for word—Putin’s dictatorship.”
A few Latinos on this side of the digital conversation even called out “Trump’s hypocrisy.” On February 19, the U.S. president made a post on Truth Social suggesting that Zelensky is a corrupt politician for not knowing where the fund sent by the U.S. to Ukraine has been spent. This week, when asked about this falsehood, Trump said he did not recall the situation. For many Latino users online, it was clear the Ukrainian president was not welcomed, and the fact that he actually went to the Oval Office should be seen as evidence of his desire to find a solution to the conflict impacting his country.
Finally, images of Ukraine’s ambassador to the U.S., Oksana Markarova, dropping her head into her hands at the Oval Office during the meeting went viral (see below), reflecting how a moment of political and diplomatic tension can be easily interpreted (or misinterpreted) depending on one’s bias. Trump supporters framed the scene as indication that “Zelensky is a complete and total disaster.” For Trump’s critics, however, her reaction was just a sign of disapproval toward the U.S. president, a way to express her frustration with the negative turn the conversation had taken. |
|  | During his address to Congress last night, Trump signaled a de-escalation in tensions with Zelensky. After emphasizing the heavy financial toll of U.S. aid to Ukraine and criticizing European nations for spending more on Russian oil and gas than on Ukraine’s defense (which is not true), Trump revealed that Zelensky had sent a letter expressing Ukraine’s willingness to negotiate peace, crediting his own leadership for fostering this development. |
| KEY NARRATIVE #2 - IMMIGRATION |
| | Trump’s “Gold Card” and Alien Registration Proposal Spark Confusion and Division |
| Viral social media posts this week are raising alarms over two controversial U.S. immigration proposals linked to President Donald Trump: the so-called “Gold Card” visa and the Alien Registration Requirement. These two pieces of information have spread rapidly across platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook, and TikTok, leaving many Latinos confused and concerned about their potential impact—especially regarding a growing divide between wealthier and working-class migrants.
The “Gold Card,” which some posts suggest could replace the EB-5 investor visa program and according to Trump’s speech in Congress will be on sale “very, very soon”, allegedly offers a shortcut to U.S. citizenship for those willing to pay $5 million for it. The proposal may attract affluent individuals, but it primarily benefits the wealthy, leaving low-income migrants excluded.
The Alien Registration Form is also causing confusion. Posts and messages circulating on messaging apps inform that undocumented immigrants must register with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) within 30 days or risk fines and possible jail time. Information about this is widely more available in English than in Spanish so far, which opens room for an increasing number of legal consultation offers exploiting the fear and confusion within immigrant families.
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|  | Note: Trump’s recent executive order declaring English as the official U.S. language – a briefly topic mentioned in the Congress last night – has not sparked significant debate in Latino communities. Those who engaged with this information claimed they did not care and would keep using Spanish as often as they wanted. DDIA did not see conversations about the fact that communications with government, schools and health facilities can become more challenging for non-bilingual people. |
| KEY NARRATIVE #3 - MEXICO |
| Mexico’s Extradition of 29 Narcos Fails to Prevent Tariffs |
| To avert Trump tariffs on Mexican goods, President Claudia Sheinbaum authorized the extradition of 29 drug traffickers to the U.S., including infamous kingpin Rafael Caro Quintero, implicated in the 1985 murder of a DEA agent. The dramatic images of the extradited narcos arriving in New York quickly went viral, especially among Mexicans online. Reactions, however, were divided: some viewed the move as a necessary step in fighting organized crime, while others saw it as Sheinbaum's submission to U.S. pressure.
The situation took a turn when U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth warned Mexico that unless it took even more aggressive action against drug cartels, President Trump could authorize “unilateral” military intervention on Mexican soil. Many Mexicans, including prominent influencers, interpreted this as a direct threat. LatinUS, a binational news portal known for having opposed former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador, echoed this frustration in Spanish. Its anchor Carlos Loret de Mola expressed in a viral video a deep sense of how relevant the extradition should be considered.
“La entrega de Rafael Caro Quintero a EEUU es un enorme mensaje a Donald Trump y un enorme gesto del gobierno de Mexico (The delivery of Rafael Caro Quintero to the U.S. is a huge message to Donald Trump and a huge gesture from the government of Mexico)", said the journalist.
The situation grew so tense that some U.S. Congress members stepped in to argue that Trump could not act unilaterally in Mexico without Congressional approval. However, the mere suggestion of military action has stirred strong Mexican nationalist sentiments in digital conversations. The complex clash of trade interests, national pride, and sovereignty seems to be the center of some online conversations. And the extradition, initially framed as a strategy to protect Mexico’s economic interests, became moot as President Trump has moved forward with imposing higher tariffs on Mexican goods.
In Congress, Trump celebrated the extradition, saying this had never happened before, but emphasized that Mexico needs “to do much more”.
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| | Heads up: Conspiracy Theories Targeting Zelensky Spread Across Spanish Telegram Channels |
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| Following this week’s U.S.-Ukraine meeting at The White House, DDIA detected a rise in misinformation and conspiracy theories about Ukraine in Spanish-language public Telegram channels. Telegram has become a breeding ground for fringe narratives that paint Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife in a highly negative light. These theories, mostly unchallenged on the platform, have the potential to spread to larger, more mainstream platforms.
Among the most disturbing claims seen on Telegram this week are that Zelensky is hiding U.S. pedophiles in Ukraine and that he is responsible for forcibly recruiting young men for an “unwinnable war.” |
|  | Other false accusations suggest Zelensky rejected a peace deal under pressure from former Obama administration officials, and even that his family has bought clothes and houses with U.S. taxpayers money—an allegation that has no credible backing. |
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| The growing narrative on these Telegram channels is part of a larger pro-Russia, anti-Ukraine agenda. Many posts portray Zelensky as corrupt and reckless, while positioning President Donald Trump as a leader demanding accountability for Ukraine’s actions. |
| Methodology: DDIA collects and analyzes social media and messaging apps raw data using two tools: NewsWhip and Palver. The data collection used to back this newsletter took place between February 24 and March 3, 2025. All searches were conducted in Spanish and English. Please note that DDIA monitors 1,400+ public WhatsApp groups that use Spanish and Portuguese as their primary language and comprise at least 30% phone numbers based in the United States (+1). We do not have insight into account names or locations. Monitoring is done in partnership with Palver.
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