Trump Is A Producer of Outrage Rather Than a Formulator of Policy

Fire! Fire!! Every day, as I look at America, we have a socio-political wildfire that’s consuming us. This is not the usual changing-of-the-guards type of chaos that comes with a changing government administration. This is something far more dangerous, far more deliberate, with catastrophic results for ordinary people worldwide. Trump’s first hundred days back in power confirm that this is not a government as expected by Americans. It’s an all-out assault on democracy. The chaos is designed to overwhelm, exhaust, and paralyze resistance. Steve Bannon mentioned this strategy back in 2016. Every action taken is not about policy or governance; it is about producing rage, confusion, and fear to distract from the rapid dismantling of the systems that once held America together. It’s about creating fictitious enemies to blame for hardships in our lives rather than the administration’s actions.

Trump does not govern in the traditional sense of a responsible serving government. He is not interested in making America stronger, safer, or more prosperous for all its people. He operates through destruction, crises, and the intentional dismantling of the age-old institutions that ensure checks and balances. Meanwhile, daily, he distorts the truth and does not even pretend he is lying; he suggests that everyone is lying, so there is no truth but his. The past few months have been a masterclass in authoritarian consolidation, using tactics that are as old as fascism itself. Some people think he is making mistakes, that the chaos is unintentional, and Trump is mostly incompetent. He is incompetent, but he is also a useful puppet to the oligarchs. The chaos we are witnessing is by design. Every move is strategic, aimed at ensuring that by the time Americans realize what has happened, it will be too late.

This is not economic policy; it is a carefully manufactured crisis.

The first executive orders were not about improving the lives of working-class Americans. They were about targeting fictitious enemies and punishing anyone who stood in the way. These fictional enemies are Muslims, black and brown people, Hispanics, Jewish people, LGPTQ+ people, non-Evangelical Christians, Canadians, Mexicans, Europeans, South Africans, or anyone else who does not pledge loyalty and kiss the ring (figuratively speaking). Most Americans without blinders, even those who voted for him, must know this by now.

They began with mass deportations within hours of his return to office, tearing households apart and fueling fear in immigrant communities. Companies that depend on immigrant communities for labor are left to struggle like fish out of water. Federal agencies have been gutted, and their workers have either been terminated or forced to pledge loyalty to the regime. Those remaining are in daily torment, having to justify their work to one of the richest man in the world instead of actually being free to do their work. The government is no longer an institution of professional public service but a machine of personal punishment and ideological righteousness.

Trump’s tariffs have already begun inflating prices on essential goods, from groceries to electronics, yet his supporters still cling to the fantasy that he is fighting for them. They do not realize that he is creating economic hardship on purpose, knowing that when prices skyrocket, he can simply shift the blame to immigrants, the media, or foreign nations. Believe me, as an economist, this is not economic policy; it is a carefully manufactured crisis, a distraction that allows him to consolidate power while Americans struggle to afford basic necessities.

The Supreme Court, now stacked with conservative loyalists, is already clearing the way for the dismantling of legal systems that have existed for centuries. The line between the powers of the executive, legislative, and judiciary is blurred. We will see more defunding of public broadcasting, making sure that state-controlled narratives dominate the airwaves. Journalists are being silenced, independent news organizations strangled, and those who resist are labeled as enemies of the state. We already see this as the Associated Press (AP) gets banned by the White House for not helping to rewrite history by calling the Gulf of Mexico “Gulf of America” according to one of Trump’s executive orders. The slow erosion of press freedom is not an accident; it is a calculated effort to control the narrative, rewrite history in real-time, and erase any opposition before it can be organized.

Facebook, X, and even Instagram are now tools of the regime.

The federal agencies that once upheld civil rights and consumer protections have been rendered useless. The Justice Department has fired or reassigned prosecutors who worked on cases against Trump and his allies. Federal watchdogs, such as 17 Inspector Generals, have been illegally removed, their roles either eliminated or replaced by hand-picked loyalists who will ensure that corruption and abuse go unchecked. Courts that attempt to block his actions are undermined, their rulings ignored, and their legitimacy called into question – often with threats even from Trump to the judges to force them out. The judiciary is being bent into a tool of the regime, clearing the way for laws that serve only those in power.

Trump’s administration is not an isolated entity. His rise and consolidation of power have been supported, funded, and encouraged by authoritarian leaders worldwide. Autocrats in Russia, Hungary, Israel, and El Salvador have openly celebrated his return, knowing that his success will embolden their own efforts to crush democracy within their borders. Musk is using his wealth to fund nazi parties in countries like Germany. They came second as a result, and he called the AfD (the so-called “Nazi-curious party) to congratulate them, not the winning conservatives, as is protocol. They see in Trump a model, a blueprint for how to dismantle democratic institutions while keeping the illusion of governance alive. America is no longer a beacon of democracy; it is becoming an experiment in how quickly a free society can be undone from within.

Don’t get caught up in reacting to every nonsensical statement Trump makes.

History has shown where this road leads. Once an authoritarian regime is in place, it does not stop at national control. Expansion is inevitable. Germany did not stop with internal suppression under Hitler; it launched a war that engulfed the world. Fascist Italy sought to expand its empire through conquest, believing its ideology had a right to spread beyond its borders. The Soviet Union, under Stalin, exported its brand of authoritarian control to any nation that could be absorbed into its sphere of influence. Autocracies do not remain contained. Once the mechanisms of suppression and control are fully in place, they begin looking outward.

You may think you can wait this out. Many friends I talk to want to sit back and watch the train run them over. There is no safe haven from the consequences of this rouge administration. Every delay, every moment spent in disbelief rather than action, is another step closer to a reality where democracy is a distant memory. The playbook is clear: overwhelm the public with crisis after crisis until resistance feels impossible. Break down faith in institutions so that no one believes in the possibility of change. Manufacture enemies, scapegoats, and distractions to keep people fighting among themselves rather than uniting against the true threat.

Americans who believed in the fantasy of Trump as a champion of the working class are beginning to realize their mistake, but realization alone is not enough. There is still time, but only if people act now. This is not a presidency—it is an occupation. Trump’s regime is gutting every system designed to hold power accountable. If people do not fight back immediately, the opportunity to do so will disappear. The window is closing, and once it does, history tells us it will not open again without a level of struggle and suffering that few are truly prepared for.

This is the moment. Don’t get caught up in reacting to every nonsensical statement Trump makes. He wants us emotionally drained and too distracted to focus on real resistance. Remember that Facebook, X, and even Instagram are now tools of the regime. Meet people in person. Organize locally. Create real connections and relationships that can’t be censored. There are media houses that are struggling to remain independent and still keep us informed. These machines are vital to a real democracy. Subscribe to news organizations that aren’t owned by billionaires who support Trump. PBS, NPR, ProPublica, Vox, Atlantic, and The Guardian are still fighting to report real news.

The midterm election in 2 years might be one of our only hopes (assuming things have not gotten so bad by then that they just rig it to suit themselves). This is the next real opportunity to stop the bleeding. Brown and Black leaders, progressive candidates, and independent thinkers need to mobilize now if there’s any chance of regaining control of Congress. The candidates must be strong, vigilant personalities to withstand the onslaught of illegal activities by this regime. The choice is clear. The path forward is resistance or submission. There is no in-between. Good luck to us all!