Donald Trump does what he’s good at: changing the story. The courts denied his attempt to close the border outright. So he travels to the U.S.-Mexico border, calling it “the source of 80% of violence in this country.” He creates a photo op of himself in body armor at the border.
The media’s attention moves back to the border. Emboldened, Trump-inspired militias begin rounding up immigrants, sometimes in coordination with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Violating all sorts of laws, these militias begin busing immigrants across the border into Mexico with relative impunity.
Meanwhile, Trump appointees replace government employees with loyalists. Inside, bureaucratic fights are commonplace. Trump loyalists make life excruciating for the remaining career civil servants; many institutionalists begin to trickle out. Controlling multiple levers of government, Trump installs judges across the country, freezes all legal cases against him, gerrymanders state election maps to ensure long-term Republican power, and announces that he plans to “stay in power until I can finish the job.”
One night, you hear a knock on your door. It’s the FBI. They have a warrant for your arrest on terrorism charges. You watch helplessly as they search your home.