The Trump administration’s immigration policy just got a little bit more bizarre. It’s apparently considering getting involved in a reality TV show tentatively titled The American.
Reality TV show producer Rob Worsoff has been working with the Department of Homeland Security to pitch a reality TV show to networks. In their detailed 30-page pitch, a dozen vetted contestants will arrive on Ellis Island on a vessel aptly called “The Citizen Ship.” From that point on, they will be welcomed by the host, whom Worsoff envisions as either Sofia Vergara or Ryan Reynolds — a popular and established naturalized American.
From that point, the contestants will travel across the nation and battle in themed regional contests such as rocket science in Florida’s Cape Canaveral and lumberjacking in Hayward. According to the pitch, the show will remind viewers what it means to be American. The winner will get automatic citizenship, and the “losers” will get $10,000 Starbucks gift cards, amongst other American-themed prizes.
It’s a rule of thumb for critics to not judge TV shows before they see them, but sometimes the idea is so intriguing that you have no choice. Rob Worsoff, who’s running point on the entire idea, is best known for his other reality TV show Duck Dynasty. But perhaps to get a more in-depth view of his sensibilities and taste, you’d need to take a glance at his IMDb, where you’ll see some of his previous projects, such as his dating shows The Millionaire Matchmaker and Dating Naked — whose titles are pretty self-explanatory of the amount of nuance Worsoff is capable of conjuring up.
This marks the second major political move by the Trump administration to reframe the immigration process in the President’s own image. The first, of course, was the much-discussed Gold Card — a program where, for $5 million, you could essentially buy American citizenship. This latest idea leans even further into Trump’s affinity for spectacle and television. It’s a grim concept, eerily reminiscent of shows like Squid Game. The notion of someone fleeing human rights violations in their home country being forced to compete for citizenship — only to potentially walk away with a lifetime Starbucks gift card — is dark, even by their standards.
The Daily Beast reports that DHS Secretary Kristi Noem has denied any direct involvement with the show as of this moment. Which makes sense, because she’s already had a chaotic week with her appearance at Congress, where she was left tongue-tied after being asked whether or not Trump was using doctored photographs to justify deporting Abrego Garcia.
The DHS has been complaining during interviews that every day they wake up to new criticism. But everyday people also wake up to new bizarre ideas such as this. People are clearly as exhausted. One user on X called the entire show inhumane, and someone agreed, commenting that “Winners become citizens… losers go to the rock quarry for a trip to visit cricket.”
Winners become citizens.. losers go to the rock quarry for a trip to visit cricket.
— Tomi Jenkins (@HarleyRedd) May 16, 2025
Say what you will, but if Americans don’t think your show about what it means to be American upholds American values, did you really succeed in your goal?
