2165
Slogans as Tools of Illiberalism
The use of targeted slogans has been central to delegitimizing existing democratic structures:
- "Drain the Swamp": This slogan frames the non-partisan civil service and federal bureaucracy as a "swamp" of corrupt, tenured officials who thwart the will of the people. Trump used this to convince voters that the "Administrative State" is an illegitimate entity that should be replaced by a system accountable only to the President.
- "Wokeism" and "Cultural Marxism": Conservative think tanks like The Heritage Foundation use these terms as "rhetorical Trojan horses" to brand diversity and equity initiatives as a "long march" of subversion against American values. They argue that federal agencies have been "weaponized" by a "radical, woke faction".
- "Regime Change": Prominent post-liberal thinkers and political figures like J.D. Vance have used this term to call for the "ruthless" seizure of the administrative state, universities, and the Department of Justice. This narrative treats political opponents not as legitimate participants in a democracy but as "corrupting" elites who must be overthrown.
Think Tank Strategy and "Court Capture"
Conservative think tanks have provided the intellectual architecture and personnel to implement these illiberal goals:
- Project 2025 and the Heritage Foundation: The Mandate for Leadership outlines a plan to "assemble an army" of vetted conservatives to "deconstruct the Administrative State" on "Day One" of a new administration. The goal is to replace non-partisan experts with political appointees loyal to the executive.
- The Federalist Society: Sources describe a "court capture machine" where the Federalist Society and the Judicial Crisis Network use dark money to pre-select judicial nominees who will advance a regressive agenda. This process is criticized as transforming the judiciary into a "political operative" appendage of the Republican party.
- Unitary Executive Theory: This theory, promoted by groups like the Federalist Society, is used to justify expansive presidential authority, including the power to ignore congressional intent and seize control over all executive functions.
White Nationalist Messaging and Nativist Propaganda
Rhetoric used by the Trump administration and its supporters often mirrors white nationalist themes to frame immigration and demographic change as existential threats:
- "Invasion" Rhetoric: Trump and government agencies like ICE have used "jingoistic and xenophobic" wartime rhetoric to describe immigration as an "invasion" that requires a "sacred duty" to defend the homeland.
- Neo-Nazi Imagery: Investigations into ICE recruitment campaigns revealed the use of slogans and imagery popular in neo-Nazi circles, such as "We’ll have our home again" and "Which way American man?". Such propaganda frames classic white Americans as defenders against a "foreign" threat.
- Dehumanization: By framing opponents and migrants as "vermin" or "destroyers of the home," this rhetoric utilizes mechanisms historically associated with the Holocaust, such as the "stab-in-the-back" myth, to dehumanize internal enemies.
Erosion of Democratic Values and Institutions
These strategies promote illiberalism at the direct expense of democratic norms:
- The "Post-Illiberal Trilemma": Attempting to fix "captured" institutions often requires post-liberal leaders to violate the rule of law themselves to purge their predecessors' loyalists, creating a cycle of political retaliation that destroys the peaceful transfer of power.
- Weaponizing the First Amendment: Critics argue the Supreme Court has "weaponized" the First Amendment to intervene in economic policy and strike down labor protections while ignoring the rights of marginalized groups.
- Discrediting Truth and Facts: The use of "toxic sludge"—anger-laced misinformation and conspiracy theories like QAnon—is used to kill public trust and tear apart a shared reality, which is foundational for democratic checks and balances.
