War Rhetoric Without War

Violence data show U.S. political terrorism and organized conflict are low, yet the administration frames an internal 'war' against immigrants and domestic opponents, even threatening Insurrection Act use against protesters. This mismatch suggests war language is being used to justify extraordinary measures rather than to describe actual conditions. — Normalizing war framing amid low violence can expand emergency powers, erode civil liberties, and recast political dissent as an enemy to be suppressed.

Sources

Trump‚Äôs lawless narco-war

Brandan Buck 2025.12.04 82% relevant

This article exemplifies the same pattern described by 'War Rhetoric Without War': political leaders and the executive are using 'war' framing (here, a hemispheric narco‑war and emergency operations off Venezuela) to justify expanded use of force and extraordinary executive authority; named actors include Pete Hegseth (DoD), Vice‑President JD Vance, and the administration’s operations at sea.

The U.S. political situation

Noah Smith 2025.10.07 100% relevant

Trump’s Quantico remarks ('We’re under invasion from within… It’s a war from within… We can’t let these people live') and threats to invoke the Insurrection Act against anti‑ICE protesters.