Trump’s Shutdown Theater: Chaos as Strategy
Donald Trump leans into dysfunction, framing a government shutdown not as failure but as proof of his power.
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As another government funding deadline looms, Donald Trump appears less interested in averting a shutdown than in using it as a political tool. The chaos paints a picture of a leader who views shutdown not as failure but as opportunity—a way to dramatize his ongoing war with Washington institutions and reinforce his brand as an outsider battling entrenched elites.
Rather than rushing toward compromise, Trump has adopted a posture of defiance. He has signaled that he sees potential political advantage in allowing the government to grind to a halt, believing that chaos serves his narrative and exposes the system’s fragility. For Trump, dysfunction is not something to fear but something to exploit.
This emphasizes how Trump’s view of governance diverges from traditional presidential instincts. Historically, leaders have sought to avoid shutdowns, aware of the damage to the economy and public trust. Trump, by contrast, sees spectacle and leverage. His willingness to lean into dysfunction is framed as part of his larger strategy of dismantling norms to consolidate loyalty among his base.
