Overview

• The Department of Homeland Security posted Thomas Kinkade’s “Morning Pledge” on July 1 and Morgan Weistling’s mislabelled painting on July 14 without securing permission.
• The Kinkade Family Foundation and Morgan Weistling have publicly condemned the use and are consulting counsel over potential copyright infringement.
• As of July 18, both artworks remain live on DHS X, Instagram and Facebook channels despite repeated removal requests.
• These Eurocentric, nostalgic images sit alongside AI-generated xenophobic memes and videos celebrating ICE deportation raids.
• Critics warn the government’s embrace of kitsch resembles authoritarian propaganda techniques that simplify reality to advance exclusionary policies.