Trump Created the Chaos; Dems Must Make Him Own It

Trump promised to bring stability to a chaotic world, but he's failed

The news over the last week has rarely been more awful. The U.S. military is patrolling our streets as a show of contrived political force. Masked federal agents are arresting mothers in front of their small children. A U.S. Senator is handcuffed for having the temerity to do his duty on behalf of his terrorized constituents. In Minnesota, a gunman dressed as a police officer assassinated a Democratic lawmaker and her husband and shot another lawmaker and their spouse.

The international front is no less terrifying. Israel and Iran are bombing each other. The War in Ukraine grows more aggressive and the already devastating situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate.

The backdrop to all of this is a historic level of economic uncertainty born of Trump’s erratic, on-again/off-again tariff policy, which has left consumers and corporations concerned and confused.

Chaos is the defining element of the first five months of Trump’s term. While Trump’s turbulent approach to governing was painfully predictable to many close observers, it’s not what voters bargained for nor what he promised on the campaign trail.

Trump created this chaos. Democrats must make him own it or he will use it to justify more authoritarian actions.

Trump’s Failed Strongman Schtick

Trump ran for president as a classic strongman. His entire campaign focused on projecting strength and portraying his opponents as too weak to protect America. This image was forever ingrained in the national mind after the image of a bloodied Trump with his fist in the air circulated after the failed assassination attempt. The subtext of Trump’s message was that he was strong enough to do two things: change a broken, calcified political system and bring stability to a chaotic world.