President Trump is rapidly issuing executive orders, surpassing 50 in number during the early days of his second term. This aggressive strategy, supported by figures like Elon Musk, aims to overwhelm critics and assert his power. Steve Bannon’s “flood the zone” approach involves pursuing multiple initiatives simultaneously, creating confusion among opponents. While some view Trump’s actions as decisive, others, like Norman Eisen, argue they threaten constitutional norms and the separation of powers, aligning with Trump’s self-proclaimed authoritarian tendencies.
President Trump is on a signing spree, issuing one decree after another, making it challenging to keep track of his actions. This seemingly orchestrated approach aims to assert dominance, bewilder critics, and project an image of an active president.
While previous presidents have also enacted multiple executive orders, the intensity of Trump’s actions at the start of his second term is unprecedented. The exact count of his decrees is contentious, but it is clear that there are over 50, accompanied by a plethora of other initiatives.
In this chaotic landscape, who still cares about the pardon of 1,500 convicted offenders tied to the Capitol riots when over two million federal employees face potential layoffs? Who is worried about the Greenland annexation proposal when Trump is now eyeing the expulsion of two million Palestinians from Gaza?
Even some members of the Republican party are taken aback by the transformative approaches that Trump and Musk are applying to reshape the US government.
Bannon’s Strategy: ‘Do Three Things at Once’
Steve Bannon, Trump’s former advisor, articulated this strategy in a 2019 PBS interview: ‘Every day, we need to flood the zone. Accomplish three things simultaneously. If they focus on one, we’re already onto the next, bang, bang, bang.’
This deluge of initiatives leaves little room for opponents to react, fostering confusion, fear, and uncertainty. Trump is now intensifying this tactic compared to his first term, with support from billionaire Elon Musk, as Democratic Senator Chris van Hollen from Maryland noted on CNN.
The phrase ‘flood the zone’ aptly describes this strategy. It involves seizing as much power as possible and advancing the president’s agenda by any means necessary, regardless of legal boundaries.
Acknowledging that courts might intervene or revise some issues is part of the plan. A key element of Trump’s approach is to make maximal demands initially. If he ultimately achieves only a portion, he frames that as a success.
Trump humorously remarked that he wouldn’t act like a dictator if re-elected—except on the first day.
Trump: The Action-Oriented President
What may seem extreme or hard to believe from a European viewpoint is often seen as standard behavior among many Americans. Jeff Mason, a reporter for Reuters, has covered the administrations of former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden. In an interview with ARD, he remarked on Trump’s proactive stance: He is indeed taking action.
‘In just three weeks since taking office on January 20, he has accomplished a significant amount. Regardless of public opinion, he has indeed been busy. His supporters expected him to come in and initiate substantial changes,’ Mason stated.
Conversely, Norman Eisen from the Brookings Institution holds a different perspective. Formerly the US ambassador to the Czech Republic under Obama and a Trump advisor during his first term, Eisen expressed on CNN that Trump is undermining the separation of powers, circumventing Congress, and violating the Constitution: ‘He promised to act like a dictator from day one, and he has consistently upheld that promise since then.’
This topic was reported by Deutschlandfunk on February 5, 2025, at 3:36 PM.