A new Netflix documentary, "Turning Point: Generation 9/11," explores how the events of September 11, 2001, and their aftermath shaped a generation and influenced American political discourse, particularly for Donald Trump's presidential campaigns.
The film examines how the "War on Terror" became a vehicle for nativist sentiments and provided Trump with potent political messaging. It features footage from Trump's 2015 campaign rally where he called for a ban on Muslims entering the U.S. and a 2016 interview in which he stated, "I think Islam hates us."
"Turning Point: Generation 9/11" also revisits Trump's pledge to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, announced as he launched his 2016 presidential campaign, and his assertion that he would be "tougher on ISIS than Donald Trump."
The documentary traces the origins of federal agencies like the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), established in response to the post-9/11 security environment. DHS was created in October 2001, and ICE was formed in 2003. The film argues that these agencies, born out of a heightened concern for national security, were granted broad authorities that later influenced immigration policy.
According to the documentary, these expansive powers have contributed to the development of a large agency, with ICE reportedly becoming the best-funded U.S. law enforcement agency. The film suggests that the "War on Terror" created institutions and operations that continue to exist, adapting to new targets and potentially infringing on civil liberties.
Spencer Ackerman, author of "Reign of Terror," is featured in the documentary, explaining how the "War on Terror" served as a pathway to power for those who felt the country was moving away from them. He notes that Trump's movement recognized the "tremendous amount of political potency" in this rhetoric. The film posits that the federal agencies created in the wake of 9/11, initially focused on counterterrorism, later acquired mandates that shaped immigration policy, leading to practices that some critics argue infringe on American rights.
Oona Hathaway, who served in the U.S. Department of Defense, is quoted in the film stating that "military tactics" have returned home and that certain treatments of Americans mirror the "War on Terror" abroad, raising concerns about presidential authority and the use of force. The documentary suggests that the "War on Terror" is not over, but rather that its created institutions are "finding new targets."