War game raises concerning questions about political instability in hypothetical second Trump term
-
I attended a war game imagining the first day of a second Trump presidency, with concerning questions arising about veterans asserting moral authority and undermining opposing administrations.
-
The game envisioned right-wing militias killing migrants at the border, and conflicts arising when governors ordered National Guards to disperse them.
-
Participants debated whether Trump would invoke the Insurrection Act, federalizing state National Guards, in response to border clashes and violence.
-
Some proposed that veterans lead efforts to organize against Trump, forming "shadow governments," raising questions about whether that undermines norms.
-
I wondered if participants considered how these war games might appear to those who don't share their assumptions, and whether that's healthy for democracy.