Oprah's Book Club or Deep State Recruitment Tool? Trump Orders Immediate Inquiry

WASHINGTON — Citing “urgent national security concerns,” President Donald J. Trump has ordered an immediate Department of Justice investigation into Oprah Winfrey’s Book Club, alleging that it may secretly operate as a front for “deep state recruitment.” The announcement came late last night via a series of impassioned Truth Social posts, where Trump accused Winfrey, along with fellow celebrities Beyoncé and Bruce Springsteen, of covertly undermining democracy through literary recommendations and catchy music.
“Books are very suspicious,” Trump wrote, in all caps. “Everyone knows Oprah has been pushing reading for decades—why? What is she hiding in those pages? VERY CONCERNING!”
The president elaborated further in subsequent posts, claiming without evidence that “the Deep State has been using Oprah’s Book Club to communicate secret socialist messages disguised as heartwarming narratives and inspirational memoirs.” Trump singled out Winfrey’s past recommendations, questioning how “ordinary Americans can afford so many hardcover books without help from shadowy organizations.”

“Is it just a coincidence that millions suddenly become interested in the same books at the same time? Who decides these books? Oprah or Soros?” Trump asked, concluding ominously: “We will investigate.”
Trump’s accusations have drawn immediate skepticism, though they come on the heels of similar unfounded claims against entertainers who supported Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024. Trump’s allegations regarding Beyoncé included the outlandish claim that she was paid “$11 million to wave at fans and endorse socialism without even performing a single song,” something Beyoncé’s team dismissed as “utterly absurd.”
Meanwhile, Bruce Springsteen, labeled a “radical musical insurgent” by Trump, faced accusations of embedding “anti-American code words” in his classic hit, “Born to Run.” The president insisted, “No true patriot runs from America—unless they’re running from justice. Very suspicious!”

White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany defended Trump’s calls for investigation at this morning’s press briefing, stating, “The president is simply asking important questions about cultural figures who have too much influence over American thoughts and dreams.”
Democratic leaders reacted with disbelief and laughter. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called Trump’s latest accusations “a bad SNL sketch come to life,” while Speaker of the House Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez joked, “Honestly, I’m just glad he’s finally noticed books.”
Oprah herself addressed the controversy lightly during her daily morning meditation livestream: “If reading and understanding empathy is now considered a conspiracy, we might have bigger problems. But hey, everyone gets an investigation!”

At press time, Trump was reportedly drafting an additional executive order targeting “other suspicious influencers,” beginning with an immediate review of “whatever Bono’s been up to.”