But first, a disclaimer. You might not like what I have to say and that’s OK. It is (at least for now) a free country and you’re allowed to disagree with me. A second disclaimer: everything I say could be wrong. In fact, I hope I’m wrong. If I am, feel free to rub it in my face later. Final note: my opinions here aren’t formed from watching too much CNN or MSNBC. I’ve heard that argument so frequently, I startded unfriending people who use it because it’s a cop-out straw man argument from someone whose position is too weak to support itself. Besides, I don’t watch any 24 hour news channels. I’ve formed these opinions from a combination of sources: a lifetime of studying history, reading project 2025, watching the president’s speeches, a list of the president’s campaign promises, historical footage, and court records.
It is my belief Trump has a plan and it has been wildly successful. I know a lot of my liberal friends will not agree with me but it’s true. He might (allegedly) have dementia. He might (allegedly) have an Adderall addiction. He probably is (allegedly) an sociopathic narcissist and a pathological liar. He has a history is saying the stupidest statements in human history. But even with all of that, he’s not as much of a dunce as he appears. He has a plan and putting it into action. So far it’s working.
Now to piss off my conservative friends: none of those successful plans are good. He doesn’t have a plan to save the economy. He doesn’t have plans to bring down the cost of groceries, gas, or health care. He doesn’t have a plan to protect Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid. He doesn’t have a plan to bring an end to wars in Ukraine or Gaza. He has a plan to achieve his one and only goal: to become the supreme American authoritarian and follow in the footsteps of his heroes: Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong-un, Recep Erdoğan, and Mohammed bin Salman.
Don’t get mad at me for claiming the president wants to be more than president. I’m not accusing him of anything other than what he’s said about himself. When he terminated Manhattan’s congestion pricing in February, Trump himself declared “New York is saved. Long live the king.” In true trumpist fashion, most of his words were typed in ALL CAPS. In December of 2023, Sean Hannity gave a softball interview question hoping to dispel worries about Trump’s increasingly fascist and violent rhetoric. Hannity asked “You’re not going to be a dictator, are you?” Trump could have said no and move on. Instead he said, “No, other than day one.” Obviously this was meant to rile his critics - get them freaking out over his plans to be a dictator for a day. I’ll accept that he spoke in jest, but the best jokes are grounded in a sliver of truth. Heartsong wanted a dictatorship for more than a day, but had to remove the barriers first. That’s been his plan all along and we’re about a week and a half away from the fruition of his work.
Before I explain myself, we need to come to an agreement on one thing. Everyone does everything for a reason. The choices we make, the business we support, the places we travel, the food we eat, the clothes we wear, all of it is done for a reason. We might act out of familial or professional obligations. We might be influenced by our upbringing, our social circles, our religion, our heritage, our traumas, our mental health, or some conglomeration of all the above. The reason I do things are different than yours. Sometimes we agree in our reasoning but sometimes we don’t. Sometimes we understand opposing reasons but not always. Still, there’s always a reason we do what we do. This is true in elections; there is a reason I voted the way I did and a reason you voted the way you did and a reason those who didn’t vote abstained.
Last time I checked, Donald Trump was human. This means he is subject to the rule that everything is done for a reason. Everything he’s ever done had a purpose behind it. From dodging a draft, taking his daddy’s money, discriminating against black tenants, taking out a full page ad in the newspaper calling for the death penalty against five innocent teenagers, bankrupting casinos, cheating on all of his wives, running fraudulent charities and colleges, committing sexual assault and tax evasion, to the blatant corruption of his current administration - he’s had a reason for all of it. It is imperative we ask ourselves “Why’d he do that?”
Let’s jump in the wayback machine to last summer. In July, he spoke at a Christian event when he said the following: “Christians, get out and vote, just this time. You won't have to do it anymore. Four more years, you know what, it will be fixed, it will be fine, you won't have to vote anymore, my beautiful Christians. I love you Christians. I'm not a Christian. I love you, get out, you gotta get out and vote. In four years, you don't have to vote again, we'll have it fixed so good you're not going to have to vote.” Why would he say that? Why would Trump tell any audience they would never have to vote again?
More recently, why did he pardon those involved with January 6th attack on the Capitol? He could have pardoned them at the end of his first term but didn’t. He waited until day one of his second term. Why? Why would someone who voraciously campaigned on being the “law and order” candidate grant freedom to violent offenders who assaulted police and violated the law with reckless disorder? Then he granted freedom to the Tate brothers, a pair of notorious influencers who’ve been globetrotting to avoid criminal charges from a long list of accusations of sexual assault, rape, and human trafficking. Why?
Trump made efforts to maintain his promise of deporting every undocumented immigrant in the US but his administration has taken it further. The ICE raids have swept up business owners, military veterans, legal immigrants, and protected refugees. Why though? Why is the Trump administration revoking green cards and student visas without cause or warning? Why are they denying legal residents and citizens due process? Why is ICE acting without warrants and defying court orders? Why did he try so hard to end birth right citizenship? Why did he question the citizenship of Native Americans?
Allow me to answer some of those questions … hypothetically of course.
Trump wants to be the King of America - not in the sense like the UK has a king. He wants absolute control over the United States from the Arctic Sea to the Panama Canal. He wants power over his people the way Xi Jinping rules over China or Putin dominates Russia. He wants his every whim to be granted without question or challenge. He wants all Americans to kneel to his authority - not just his MAGA faithful. The only obstacle in his path to glory is the rule of law in checks and balances.
Much of what he wants to do (or is already doing) violates the constitution. Right now, the Supreme Court and the Legislative Sessions have the power to stop Trump. Whether they do or don’t is irrelevant because the power exists even if unused. If life continues as it is right now, Republicans are facing devastating midterm losses in 2026. With both houses flipped to favor Democrats the odds of impeachment, removal from office, and criminal prosecution becomes more likely. If Trump is to get what he wants, he has to fulfill the promise he made last summer: vote for him and you’ll never have to vote again.
While much of what the Trump administration has done in the last two and a half months has been illegal, there are two ways Trump could serve a third term (which he’s already expressed intent to do) and install himself as king. First, get a constitutional amendment ratified. It’s not impossible but highly unlikely as it would require a proposal from 2/3rds of both houses of Congress (where Republicans hold the slimmest majorities) followed by the approval of 38 states. In case you don’t want to do the math, I already did it for you - there are too many blue states to make this a realistic option. The second legal method would become available if Trump suspends all future elections. This avenue is only possible if he declares martial law.
Wait, hold up - I hear you saying. He’ll never do that. Really though? On January 20th, a review on the southern border was one of the plethora of day one executive orders Trump signed. This order asked two secretaries (Defense and Homeland Security) to review activity along the Mexican border and make a report with recommendations for the president due April 20th. The executive order also asked them to determine if the president should invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807.
On the surface, I support this. The president should request his advisors and cabinet to monitor hot button issues and expect them to deliver sound advice. Rational leaders would then analyze the situation and see the Mexican border had less activity during Biden’s administration than Trump’s first term, got even slower since Trump got back into office, and is calmer now than it has been in a decade. They would learn that most illegal aliens are those who entered the US legally then over stayed or violated the terms of their visas like Elon Musk. They’d discover most fentanyl crossing the border is smuggled by white US citizens. Their recommendations to the president should reflect those realities.
However, the two individuals assigned these tasks are not rational leaders. They are Pete the raging alcoholic with anger issues Hegseth and Kristi puppy killer Noem. They’ve been too busy violating the Espionage Act and leaking confidential war plans on Signal to actually look at issues along the border. Whatever suggestion they make for Trump on 4/20, I would be willing to bet they’ll recommend he invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807 which will direct the use of the military to secure the border.
Now, before you accuse me of jumping the shark with my prediction of martial law. I am smart enough to know the Insurrection Act and declaration of martial law are two different actions. While both involve the military, each can be and usually are used separately. You’re probably also wondering what the slew of pardons, mass deportations, and levied tariffs have to do with either insurrection or martial law. Slow down, I’m getting there.
Let’s start with deporting people that shouldn’t be deported. Trump knows he’s breaking the law. Marco Rubio knows these deportations are illegal. The courts have repeatedly ruled against them. None of that matters because they’re just testing the waters. Reopening Guantanamo Bay and paying El Salvador to house deportees in one of the most violent prisons on earth isn’t a matter of controlling immigration. Sure, they’re blaming Latinx people because they need a scapegoat but the reality is they’re testing the waters. They’re trying to see what they can do without consequence or accountability. They’re exploring how easy it is to make people disappear. It’s immigrants for now but it will not stop there.
Next up are the pardons. Not all of them were violent offenders but many of them were and still are. While the Secretary of Defense has no moral compass, the rank and file service members and military officers do. If military members refuse to follow unlawful orders, Trump will need his own private and loyal army willing to do whatever he wants. No better place to find one than in the 3%ers, the Proud Boys, and the Oathkeepers - the three militias at the center of the J6 riot. And since they’ve all been pardoned they’ll be the most loyal soldiers available.
Finally, the terror of tariffs. Economists, mathematicians, historians, political analysts, high school civics students, and anyone who watched Ferris Bueller's Day Off know tariffs are paid by the importers who pass that cost on to consumers. Trump’s will he/won’t he dance with Canadian and Mexican tariffs started chipping away at the stock market. His “liberation day” blanket tariffs lobbied onto every nation (except Russia) crumbled the markets which have been in downward spiral ever since. Major manufacturers announced factory closures and massive layoffs. Prices on everything are about to get really expensive and will skyrocket if nothing changes.
Trump had to know this would happen. If he didn’t, Howard Lutnick (Secretary of Commerce) should have known. Marco Rubio (Secretary of State) should have. Countless other advisors should have. With all that knowledge worldwide tariffs would tank the economy, such a move is intentional. He knew his economic plan would harm American citizens and he did it anyway. He knew it would irritate his base and energize his detractors - this is the reason he did it. This is his strategy.
Anti-Trump protests are nothing new. They were a constant presence during the 2016 campaign and a feature of his first term. They continued as he resumed office, increasing in both size and frequency. Trump needs this - more protests, more protesters. After the Insurrection Act of 1807 is invoked on the southern border, it’ll be easy to expand it to include major cities where protests have been biggest. However, what he needs most still hasn’t happened. So far, the 50501 and hands off protests have been peaceful. The Insurrection Act won’t be enough to quell the protests, Trump needs violence. As soon as the protests turn to riots, Trump will finally be able to enact martial law.
Unfortunately for Trump, the people protesting him are committed to peaceful opposition. This is where his militias come into play. He doesn’t need all of them, just a few here and a few there. As the size of protests expand, a handful of militant plants will be able to blend in with ease. They commit heinous acts - vandalism, assault, terrorism … and pandemonium ensues. Once the violence starts, martial law becomes the rule of the land. Dissent is criminalized and people begin disappearing. Normal law-abiding citizens will be arrested, hoods over their head, sent to foreign prisons or domestic labor camps without due process. Then finally, Trump can suspend all future elections and reign like a tyrant.
The crises aren’t a side effect of Trump’s politics. They are the purpose of his policies. Create chaos. Spark violence. Takeover. With political critics and opposition removed or silenced, he can fulfill the promise he made last summer: you’ll never have to vote again.
I could be wrong. I hope and pray that I’m wrong. For the safety of my friends and family, I would be giddy if I was wrong. But if I’m right? Well, I could be one of the law-abiding citizens who get disappeared.
