ICYMI · Slate Podcasts

This Country Runs On Slop

February 7, 2026·40 min·3 clips

A YouTuber's shaky video triggered ICE raids in Minneapolis, exposing how slop drives government policy.

This episode of ICYMI explores the concept of "slop," a genre of mindless online content, and its political variant, "slopaganda." Host Kate Lindsay is joined by Mia Sato, a reporter from The Verge who recently wrote about this phenomenon. Sato defines slop as repetitive, low-effort content designed for passive scrolling, often existing simply because it can. While AI-generated material is commonly called slop, the discussion focuses on human-created political slop designed to outrage or fearmonger. The episode examines how U.S. government agencies, particularly under the Trump administration, have amplified such content. A central case study is 23-year-old right-wing YouTuber Nick Shirley, whose video alleging fraud at Somali-owned daycare centers in Minneapolis went viral. Senator JD Vance praised the video, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) later conducted operations in the city. Shirley's content evolved from apolitical "slop for babies" to overtly political stunts, with his mother often involved in production. Another creator, Savannah Hernandez, made a video about street vendors on New York's Canal Street that preceded an ICE raid. The episode notes the shaky evidence in Shirley's viral video, as state investigations later found children present at the cited daycares. Media historian Lucas Graves draws a parallel between this modern slopaganda and the "yellow journalism" of the 19th century, which used sensationalism to sell papers. Sato argues that the decimation of local journalism creates a vacuum where figures like Shirley can position themselves as "independent journalists." Algorithms on platforms like TikTok and X allow this content to be hyper-targeted to receptive audiences, creating rabbit holes. The incentives for creators include direct financial rewards, such as Elon Musk awarding Shirley $100,000 through an X contest. The conversation questions whether equivalent left-wing slopagandists with similar government influence exist, with the hosts struggling to identify a direct parallel. The tone is conversational and analytical, blending cultural commentary with media criticism. Listeners interested in internet culture, media ecosystems, and the intersection of politics and online content will find this episode compelling. Those seeking lighthearted entertainment or disinterested in political analysis might choose to skip it.

As heard by us

A clear look at how a viral falsehood can turn into policy, with the damage landing far beyond the original lie.

ICYMI treats the episode as a close look at how a viral falsehood can travel from a Minneapolis daycare conspiracy into policy, with immigration fallout and later violence hanging over it.

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Why you'd press play

When a viral lie starts moving policy, this is the clean read you want.

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