President-elect Donald Trump has not yet assumed office, but according to Tom Nichols, former Naval War College professor and conservative national security expert, he is already deploying the chaos-driven strategies that have defined his political approach since 2015. Writing for The Atlantic, Nichols urges Americans to resist falling into Trump’s calculated trap of confusion and demoralization.
Nichols argues that Trump’s hallmark strategy is to lurch from crisis to crisis and scandal to scandal, preventing opponents from focusing on a singular issue. This tactic, he says, exhausts adversaries, leaving them too fatigued to mount an effective resistance. “The president-elect and his team have spent much of November baiting and trolling their opponents while throwing red meat to the MAGA faithful,” Nichols observes, highlighting moves like appointing Elon Musk to lead a government downsizing task force.
Some of Trump’s recent appointments, Nichols notes, are reasonable, but others are “manifestly unqualified and even dangerous.” Combined with grandiose promises for his first days in office and threats to punish political enemies, Trump’s maneuvers are already creating a sense of chaos designed to overwhelm his critics.
Nichols emphasizes that the key to countering Trump’s tactics is focus and resilience. “People should not panic and exhaust themselves in advance,” he advises. Instead, citizens and their representatives should prioritize critical issues, such as democracy and national security, while conserving their energy for sustained efforts.
“If citizens and their representatives react to every moment of trollery over the coming weeks, they will be exhausted by Inauguration Day,” he warns. The upcoming four years will be a political marathon, Nichols says, requiring vigilance and resolve. He reminds readers that Trump’s victory was achieved with only a narrow plurality, and he cannot assume dictatorial powers unless the public and their elected leaders allow it.
In the meantime, Nichols encourages Americans to take a breather and enjoy the holidays. “For Thanksgiving, give yourself a break,” he writes, urging readers to embrace the freedoms safeguarded by the Constitution and the privileges of being an American. And when political debates inevitably arise around the dinner table, Nichols advises a simple approach: “Tell him he’s wrong, that you love him anyway, that you’re not having this conversation today, and to pass the potatoes.” By staying focused and avoiding Trump’s chaos, Nichols believes Americans can better navigate the challenges ahead.