'Shock and awe': Why anti-Trump 'celebrations' are 'premature' — and 'ignore' key facts

20 May

President Donald Trump in the White House on April 7, 2025 (Noamgalai/Shutterstock.com)

Four months into Donald Trump's second presidency, some of his critics are applauding recent developments they view as positive — for example, ultra-conservative U.S. Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett showing that she isn't in lockstep with him, and judges in the lower federal courts continuing to block some of Trump's executive orders.

But Salon's Chauncey DeVega, in an article published on May 20, lays out some reasons why he regards expressions of optimism from fellow Trump critics as "premature."

"The Democrats and the so-called resistance are celebrating how the courts and civil society organizations appear to be blunting Trump's 'shock and awe' and shock therapy campaign against American democracy and the American people," DeVega explains. "However, these celebrations are premature and ignore how the Trump Administration is disregarding many of these rulings by the courts. There has been grave damage already done by Trump during these first 100 days of his return to power that cannot be easily remedied."

DeVega continues, "In all, too many observers are confusing some selective momentary pauses by Trump and his MAGA forces to consolidate their gains, regroup, resupply, and reassess how to best continue their campaign against democracy and civil society."

The Salon journalist argues that much scrutiny of Trump isn't nearly as aggressive as it needs to be.

"Donald Trump's power and willingness to punish and train the news media to serve his agenda through various means, both legal and extra-legal, has created a state of anticipatory obedience, a.k.a. surrender, collaboration, and a collective chilling effect across the news media," DeVega observes. "The American mainstream media has also been rolled over by Donald Trump and his forces' deft use of the propaganda technique known as 'flooding the zone,' where so much happens so quickly that the target does not know where and how to focus."

Many polls, DeVega warns, indicate that Trump's hardcore supporters don't admire him despite his "authoritarian" leanings, but because of them.

"America's democracy is rapidly collapsing," DeVega writes. "But what is its present state? The American news media, the Democratic Party, civil society, the country's other elites and everyday pro-democracy Americans will not be able to effectively respond to the worsening crisis if they do not have the correct concepts and language to properly understand it…. The compulsion and attraction towards Trump, MAGA, and authoritarianism are very deep, if not inexorable, for many tens of millions of Americans."

Chauncey DeVega's full article for Salon is available at this link.

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