Strategic Chaos Is The Point

Item 1 of 4 U.S. President Donald Trump signs documents as he issues executive orders and pardons for January 6 defendants in the Oval Office at the White House on Inauguration Day in Washington, U.S., January 20, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo

The chaos isn’t accidental—it’s strategic and the point. In Trump’s second term, as he floats a third, what might seem like disconnected acts of governance are deliberate steps toward consolidating power. Each executive order, federal funding freeze, staffing shake-up, gutting of agencies, and emergency measure serves a singular purpose: dismantling democratic norms, overwhelming the system, and flooding the public with so much news that many actions go unnoticed. We are left distracted and confused, vulnerable communities lose access to essential services, organizations scramble to deal with potential funding losses, and accountability is eroded through illegal firings of inspectors general. This deliberate chaos is meant to create ripe conditions for a power grab. By keeping the public overwhelmed and resistance fragmented, the groundwork is laid for authoritarian control to solidify with little effective pushback.

This isn’t governance—it’s the authoritarian playbook in action. As Stephen Miller bluntly stated earlier today, “there’s no lawful constraints” on the president’s ability to fire executive branch employees, dismissing established legal protections as “unconstitutional.”

Weaponizing Chaos

The recent federal funding freeze is a prime example of Trump’s use of chaos as a governing strategy. By halting grants and loans under the guise of an ideological “review,” the regime has destabilized schools, nonprofits, local governments, and critical programs like Meals on Wheels. The ripple effects are being felt nationwide, with every state reporting Medicaid outages, leaving millions uncertain about their healthcare and basic services. This manufactured disorder isn’t just disruptive—it’s a deliberate attempt to weaken public institutions and consolidate power.

Officials will be left scrambling to answer vague, ideologically loaded questions like, “Does this program promote gender ideology or democracy?” Meanwhile, communities reliant on federal funding are panicking.

Critical institutions that keep America safely running are paralyzed and when the dust settles, Trump will position himself as the savior—but only on his terms.

Rewriting Accountability and History

One of Trump’s earliest moves was to pardon insurrectionists and rioters, followed by the erasure of Department of Justice records related to January 6. Over 1,500 individuals involved in the insurrection were pardoned, their crimes scrubbed from history. This effort to rewrite accountability extends beyond legal absolution—over the weekend, the founder of the Oath Keepers was even given VIP seating at a Trump rally.

As Trump has said on many occasions, those who stormed the Capitol aren’t criminals—they’re patriots—and he put his words into action last week. This reframing of political violence as heroism echoes the tactics of authoritarian regimes, where loyalty to the leader is rewarded while opposition is demonized and criminalized.

And it’s a chilling echo of tactics in Russia, where history is rewritten to glorify loyalists and erase inconvenient truths. In the U.S., this sends a dangerous message: political violence in service of Trump isn’t just forgiven—it’s encouraged and will be rewarded.

Dismantling Independent Institutions

From purging career civil servants to firing 17 independent inspectors general, Trump has delivered on his promise to make loyalty to him the primary qualification for federal employment. New applicants face MAGA loyalty tests, including scrutiny of past social media activity, while agencies like the Department of Justice, USAID, and the Pentagon are being reshaped to prioritize allegiance to Trump over expertise and integrity.

And the demand of federal employees to snitch on their colleagues over the DEI crackdowns is a chilling hallmark of how the Soviet Union and now Russia operate. In these regimes, fostering distrust among coworkers and weaponizing loyalty against perceived ideological enemies has long been a tool of control. Today, it’s DEI—an easy target in the culture wars—and tomorrow, it will be something else like political affiliations, private opinions, or even personal relationships.

This tactic erodes workplace trust and serves a larger purpose: creating a culture of fear and self-censorship where individuals are too intimidated to speak out or report illegalities. By coworkers against each other and normalizing surveillance, the regime ensures compliance and quashes dissent before it even begins—one whisper at a time.

This is how dictators consolidate power. Independent oversight is replaced with obedient functionaries, and dissent is rooted out.

Immigration as the Gateway to Authoritarianism

Trump’s focus on immigration is not an isolated policy—it’s a testing ground for authoritarian control. Measures like ICE quotas, mass deportations, and the potential use of the Insurrection Act are tools to consolidate power and normalize extreme government overreach. Framed as responses to a “border crisis,” these actions target vulnerable populations under the guise of restoring order.

But as history—and examples from regimes like Russia—shows, such tactics rarely remain confined to their original purpose. Today, the target is immigrants, and tomorrow, it will be protests, journalists, or any political opponents who challenge Trump’s authority. Once normalized, these measures create a framework for broader suppression of dissent.

The propaganda surrounding immigration only deepens the danger. Trump’s regime has embraced theatrical displays of enforcement, using videos of agents in tactical gear and arrests as tools to inflame public fear, throw red meat to his base, and justify increasingly draconian measures. This also mirrors the tactics used in Russia, where the state fabricates narratives around vulnerable groups and opposition to rally public support for oppressive policies.

Authoritarian regimes often begin by targeting the most marginalized, testing how far they can push boundaries. By normalizing militarized enforcement, surveillance, and propaganda under the guise of addressing immigration, Trump is paving the way for authoritarian control to expand unchecked.

We Are Not Powerless

While the chaos feels overwhelming, it’s critical to remember that we are not powerless. Trump’s tactics rely on confusion, fear, and division—but the reality is that there are more of us who believe in democracy than those who seek to dismantle it. The courts, though under strain, remain a vital tool to slow down these sledgehammer tactics. Legal challenges can delay or derail authoritarian overreach and buy time for organized resistance to grow stronger.

The key is unity. Organizations, activists, and everyday citizens must recognize the power of collective action and coordinate their efforts. Resistance cannot afford to be scattered or reactionary—it must be strategic, proactive, and prepared. This has succeeded in Ukraine, where people, from the smallest villages to major cities, organized to resist aggression and corruption with remarkable speed and determination.

Many need to snap out of their complacency. Our strength lies in numbers, in the courts, and in our ability to organize.

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