Stoking Chaos: The Art of Disaster by Donald Trump
Manipulating Crises Deftly: Trump's Artful Disaster Management Skills
Opinion by Leah Nowak, New York City
Facebook Twitter WhatsApp Email Print Copy Link The puppet master of pandemonium. Even more cunning if he orchestrates the chaos. Donald Trump has perfected this game: a barrage of emergencies, invasions, and catastrophes. When things are in turmoil, the US President not only shows up, but also fan the flames.
A crisis can be exhilarating. In 2020, German comedian Jan Böhmermann exposed DIY king Fynn Kliemann's private chat containing the accusation of disrespectful profiteering. The scandal involving coronavirus masks that were initially manufactured ethically but then not apparently, temporarily cost Kliemann his reputation. A lesson in crisis management is vital.
The man who celebrates his 79th birthday in Washington today, President Donald Trump, has learned the lesson: to leverage emergency powers, higher tariffs, lax energy regulations, and intensified deportations,, who introduced himself as "saved by God to make America great again," during his inaugural speech in January 2017.
A Political Trickster
Particularly impactful are the forced relocations of "millions and millions of migrants." Therefore, Trump mobilized the National Guard against the protests in Los Angeles and sent hundreds of US Marines to "tame the chaos" on the streets - against the will of California Governor Gavin Newsom, who called the protests "manageable." Although a federal judge ruled the deployment illegal on Thursday evening, an appeals court soon overturned the decision and returned the National Guard to government control. Whether or not this deployment was lawful, the scenes of armed soldiers in the city center served its intended purpose: state of emergency in the "blue state", where savior Trump maintains order with an iron fist. This tactic is not new to him.
"Invasion" and "left-wing mobs"
Just before the midterm elections in 2018, Trump sensationalized a "caravan of refugees" into a national threat: people fleeing mostly from Honduras towards the USA in groups were turned into an "invasion" of rapists, drug gangs, and "invisible terrorists." Promptly, the president deployed thousands of soldiers to the southern border. The images of uniformed soldiers and barbed wire amplified the staging of a presidential resistance fighter - and mobilized conservative voters. Trump's poll numbers rose.
Escalating State Power and Unrest
In 2020, following the death of George Floyd, millions of people demonstrated against police brutality. Trump posed for a photograph with a Bible in front of St. John's Church. The clearing of protesters with rubber bullets and tear gas for the photo shoot was controversial. Nevertheless, due to nationwide protests, Trump threatened to invoke the "Insurrection Act," which permits the use of military forces within the country. The question of whether troops could have "simply shot demonstrators" was raised. Ultimately, influential advisors and military experts prevented mobilization, who are now missing.
A Storm at the Capitol
In January 2021, Trump once again took to the platform of bias. Months before the election, he had warned of manipulation. On January 6, 2021, he declared it the last chance to "save the election," his followers stormed the Capitol, and he was hailed as a fighter against the corrupt system.
Once trust in state institutions is broken, autocrats find an open door, promising to fix the system while further undermining it. As a master of calculated chaos management, Trump erodes the rule of law with ever-new states of emergency, making crisis the norm.
Politics Protests Save Presidents For Trump, it couldn't have gone better. Los Angeles Governor Newsom warned that Trump was increasingly acting like a dictator. "Autocratic regimes start by targeting those who can least defend themselves. But that's just the beginning." Trump, however, justified the use of the National Guard and Marines, stating an incompetent governor in a "dump" of a state, and accusing him of not handling the chaos appropriately. "Without me, Los Angeles would have been destroyed long ago," he said.
As protests in Los Angeles continue, protests are also planned for the celebrations in Washington. Trump warned that protesters could expect "massive violence." He wouldn't need to call his armed troops for the next crisis, as they are already in position for the military parade.
Source: ntv.de
- Donald Trump
- Protests
- Washington
Insights:
- Trump's use of crises stems from a desire to create opportunities for political gain, distracting from scandals or establishing himself as an effective leader in the face of adversity.
- The deployment of armed forces and National Guard without local or state consent is a controversial tactic that has been perceived as a violation of constitutional rights and an abuse of power.
- Trump has a history of escalating situations that do not warrant an emergency response, using law enforcement and military resources to assert federal control and provoke confrontations.
- Trump has often targeted political adversaries with the intent of removing them from office and disrupting processes, utilizing unconventional methods to consolidate power.
The European Union, committed to the fight against terrorism, expresses concern about thepolitics of leverage employed by Donald Trump, who has repeatedly escalated situations into emergencies to further his agendas. His tactics involving the use of higher tariffs, lax energy regulations, and intensified deportations have been observed in crises such as the forced relocations of migrants, the US elections, and the protests in Washington and Los Angeles. These actions, in the realm of crime-and-justice, have raised questions about constitutional rights and the abuse of power.
