Do you feel overwhelmed by the number of “Breaking News” notifications you’ve received since Donald Trump has taken office? Has the sheer number of executive orders signed made you feel existential dread? Does every cabinet confirmation shock you more than the last?
If you feel this way, you’re not crazy; this was always Donald Trump’s plan.
Many are referring to his leadership tactic as “shock and awe,” a revived term from the 2003 American-led invasion of Iraq, famously coined the Global War on Terror.
The “shock and awe” bombing campaign was a destructive series of attacks that laid the foundation for American troops to seize Baghdad. At a briefing in Qatar on March 22, 2003, American General Tommy Franks said, “This will be a campaign unlike any other in history. A campaign characterized by shock, by surprise, by flexibility, by the employment of precise munitions on a scale never before seen, and by the application of overwhelming force.”
So why are people comparing Donald Trump’s actions to this military tactic? According to NPR, there is “way more news coming out of the new administration than anyone can follow.”
However, If you look back to Trump’s first presidency, you would remember that this was always the method to his madness.
Five years ago, former Trump advisor Steve Bannon told PBS Frontline, “The media can only — because they’re dumb and they’re lazy — they can only focus on one thing at a time,” he said. “All we have to do is flood the zone. Every day we hit them with three things. They’ll bite on one, and we’ll get all of our stuff done, bang, bang, bang. These guys will never — will never be able to recover.”
During his first term in office, Trump tweeted more than 25,000 times, an average of 18 times a day between his inauguration and Dec. 2020. During his presidency, he signed a total of 220 executive orders, far surpassing his predecessors. To top it all off, according to the Washington Post, “By the end of his term, Trump had accumulated 30,573 untruths during his presidency — averaging about 21 erroneous claims a day.”
On Feb. 5, 2025, Bannon spoke to the Wall Street Journal to reinforce these ideas. “His four years,” Bannon said, “I think every day’s [going to] be day of thunder.”
What does this look like in today’s news? Let’s recap standout CNN Politics headlines from a week ago, Monday, Feb. 3, 2025:
- Trump says he agreed to “immediately pause” anticipated tariffs on Mexico for one month
- Trump names Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent acting director of consumer protection agency
- Most Americans opposed to implementing new tariffs, polls show
- Mexico is sending 10,000 National Guard troops to border to prevent drug trafficking to US, Sheinbaum says
- Secretary of State Rubio announces he’s acting director of USAID
- Senior staff at the Office of Personnel Management told to prepare for eventual cuts to 70% of their workforce
- Musk can’t and won’t “do anything without our approval,” Trump says
- Trump says he has power to scrap USAID
- Trump says he will speak with China “probably over the next 24 hours” regarding tariffs
- State Department notifies Congress it is conducting USAID review with “eye towards potential reorganization”
- Immigrant rights groups sue the Trump administration for sealing US-Mexico border to asylum seekers
- Trump announces 30-day pause on US tariffs on Canada
- Senate confirms Chris Wright as energy secretary
- Trump signs executive order on Mexican tariff pause
- Federal unions sue Treasury Department over DOGE’s access to sensitive payment system
- Federal employees receive formal documentation for resignations
- Fired Justice Department official says Trump’s purge of January 6 prosecutors is national security threat
Trump is continuing to push the limits of his presidential powers even further. Trump has only been president for 21 days and has already signed 59 executive orders. His actions have initiated forced mass deportations, a withdrawal from the Paris climate accord, and a federal mandate that the government only recognize “two sexes, male and female.” It is through these actions that Trump has made it clear that the next four years will be characterized by a proud attack on immigrants, the climate, women, and the LGBTQ+ community.
Now more than ever, political fatigue cannot beat the American public into complacency and submission. As Trump floods the zone NPR reminds us to, “wade through the flood, identify and explain some of the biggest things that happened each week, and draw attention to some that have been overlooked.”