It was actually a matter of flooding the zone with s@*#t!
President Trump spoke of implementing a campaign of “shock and awe” even before he took office. Apparently, nobody in his circle noticed—or cared—that the phrase was the same one used by the George W. Bush administration to describe the unlawful attack on Baghdad in the spring of 2003. Evidently one ill-conceived notion is as good as another.
This first week saw a flurry of activity designed to dismay and discourage. Keeping us off-balance is an essential part of the strategy. Chaos and distraction dominated in the first Trump presidency, as it surely will this time around.
In a 2018 interview with journalist Michael Lewis, Trump strategist Steve Bannon made a stark confession:
“The Democrats don’t matter… The real opposition is the media. And the way to deal with them is to flood the zone with shit.”
There we have it. The substance does not matter—if there is any. It’s all about creating disorientation, confusion, misdirection, and fear. It’s Project 2025 put into practice—yeah, that plan Trump claimed to know nothing about during the election campaign—and we have not seen the last of the objectionable nonsense.
To be perfectly clear, I would be willing to bet that Trump did not read any of the 900-page plan. Those who know him well say he possesses a short attention span and is likely to place his confidence in the opinions of the last person he speaks to on any issue. His disqualifying criminal convictions notwithstanding, we have one of the least literate presidents in history. It is hard to believe we have come to this, yet here we are!
Photo by Luca Discenza on Unsplash
I am one who believes Trump has no business in the Oval Office. We have had bad presidents before, but 47 will likely remain at the top of a most dubious list. He is a pathological liar and a convicted felon—the first ever to serve as chief executive—-not to mention his blatant encouragement of the January 6 rioters. His involvement rose to the level of insurrection against the United States, which clearly disqualifies him from holding office under the 14th Amendment. He removed classified documents from the White House and risked their exposure in an unsecure environment at Mara Lago. Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, dismissed the charges in that case.
Teflon Don seems to have avoided accountability yet again!
And yet, on January 20, Trump took an oath he has no intention of upholding. Did you notice how he declined to place his hand on one of two Bibles held by his wife? I wonder what that was about. This from a man who has shamelessly hawked copies of the Scriptures for pecuniary gain. His evangelical supporters seem to ignore all of that. And then, if that were not sufficiently objectionable, 47 picks a fight with the Episcopal Bishop of Washington, DC in her own cathedral. The man is unbelievable—and not in a good way. What to do when you have nothing else to offer? You flood the zone with excrement! Up is down, black is white—real Alice in Wonderland stuff—to paraphrase New Orleans DA Jim Harrison in Oliver Stone’s, JFK.
Trump is morally, intellectually, and emotionally bankrupt. He seems to possess no moral center because he has no moral compass. Most people I know at least try to live a decent life. Trump does not even try! Contrary to how he blusters, the world is not in awe of the Unites States. If anything, they no longer trust us. Look for the NATO countries to begin holding their intelligence cards close to the vest.
Shock and awe, indeed! This first week was a matter of flooding the zone, and it will only worsen. Let’s be clear: we have an illegitimate president. If we have any hope of saving our democracy, we must begin organizing now! The 2026 midterms will be upon us before we know it, and we can prevail!
America is worth saving, and it is not for sale!