I'd say the actual control mechanism though are thousands or millions of scattered little petite bourgeois that consume their media ecosystem. Like car dealership owners, pool supply store owners, real estate managers. Middle aged racist grumpy white guys who are funneling their ill gained profits back into their Ben Shapiro propaganda machine, then in turn the machine feeds them little ideology candies. I guess as things get more tense the vast swaths of loosely organized middle strata conservative bourgeoisie need more coddling and propaganda to continue existing.