TACO or tactical? Trump’s threats risk obscuring his results
Who's accountable for the results?
President Donald Trump’s critics say he follows a predictable cycle: sow chaos, issue sweeping threats, and then retreat under pressure. The left has even coined a nickname — TACO, or “Trump Always Chickens Out.” But supporters argue what looks like retreat is often tactical recalibration.
Supporters say that Trump is scoring wins and ensuring both domestic political opponents and international allies make concessions. Trump has always used “disruption and chaos as a negotiating tool,” according to Republican strategist Cesar Conda.
“He creates uncertainty on purpose, sees how the other side reacts when they’re uncomfortable, and then adjusts his next move from a position of strength,” Conda told the Washington Examiner. “I think what looks like chaos from the outside is often very intentional — it keeps people guessing and forces them to negotiate on his terms.”
Yet, those accomplishments do not always register because the same tactics Trump uses to get results — threats and bluster — inflate the stakes and provide opponents with the opportunity to downplay concessions, while pointing to Trump’s own retreat from maximalization.
“Because negotiating partners are uncertain about how Trump will actually respond, they often hedge their bets or comply in order to minimize maximum regret,” Costas Panagopoulos, a Northeastern University political science professor, told the Washington Examiner. “Unpredictability can sometimes breed compliance and concessions.”
While it is difficult to ascertain how intentional Trump’s “disruption and chaos” are, the public response is more clear.
For example, the shooting deaths of anti-ICE protesters Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minnesota in January were captured on camera. The recordings ricocheted around the world and prompted demonstrations from Minneapolis to Milan, host of the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. They also led to a drop in Trump’s average approval rating from 44% to42% in mere days, according to RealClearPolitics.
The public pressure caused Trump to dispatch border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota for a “softer touch.” Homan on Thursday announced the president had approved the drawdown of about 3,000 federal immigration law enforcement officers from Minnesota after two-and-a-half months on the ground.
Democrats contended Trump ending the surge of immigration officers was an example of the president caving.
“Minnesotans stood together, stared down ICE, and never blinked,” said Sen. …
Who's accountable for the results?
President Donald Trump’s critics say he follows a predictable cycle: sow chaos, issue sweeping threats, and then retreat under pressure. The left has even coined a nickname — TACO, or “Trump Always Chickens Out.” But supporters argue what looks like retreat is often tactical recalibration.
Supporters say that Trump is scoring wins and ensuring both domestic political opponents and international allies make concessions. Trump has always used “disruption and chaos as a negotiating tool,” according to Republican strategist Cesar Conda.
“He creates uncertainty on purpose, sees how the other side reacts when they’re uncomfortable, and then adjusts his next move from a position of strength,” Conda told the Washington Examiner. “I think what looks like chaos from the outside is often very intentional — it keeps people guessing and forces them to negotiate on his terms.”
Yet, those accomplishments do not always register because the same tactics Trump uses to get results — threats and bluster — inflate the stakes and provide opponents with the opportunity to downplay concessions, while pointing to Trump’s own retreat from maximalization.
“Because negotiating partners are uncertain about how Trump will actually respond, they often hedge their bets or comply in order to minimize maximum regret,” Costas Panagopoulos, a Northeastern University political science professor, told the Washington Examiner. “Unpredictability can sometimes breed compliance and concessions.”
While it is difficult to ascertain how intentional Trump’s “disruption and chaos” are, the public response is more clear.
For example, the shooting deaths of anti-ICE protesters Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minnesota in January were captured on camera. The recordings ricocheted around the world and prompted demonstrations from Minneapolis to Milan, host of the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. They also led to a drop in Trump’s average approval rating from 44% to42% in mere days, according to RealClearPolitics.
The public pressure caused Trump to dispatch border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota for a “softer touch.” Homan on Thursday announced the president had approved the drawdown of about 3,000 federal immigration law enforcement officers from Minnesota after two-and-a-half months on the ground.
Democrats contended Trump ending the surge of immigration officers was an example of the president caving.
“Minnesotans stood together, stared down ICE, and never blinked,” said Sen. …
TACO or tactical? Trump’s threats risk obscuring his results
Who's accountable for the results?
President Donald Trump’s critics say he follows a predictable cycle: sow chaos, issue sweeping threats, and then retreat under pressure. The left has even coined a nickname — TACO, or “Trump Always Chickens Out.” But supporters argue what looks like retreat is often tactical recalibration.
Supporters say that Trump is scoring wins and ensuring both domestic political opponents and international allies make concessions. Trump has always used “disruption and chaos as a negotiating tool,” according to Republican strategist Cesar Conda.
“He creates uncertainty on purpose, sees how the other side reacts when they’re uncomfortable, and then adjusts his next move from a position of strength,” Conda told the Washington Examiner. “I think what looks like chaos from the outside is often very intentional — it keeps people guessing and forces them to negotiate on his terms.”
Yet, those accomplishments do not always register because the same tactics Trump uses to get results — threats and bluster — inflate the stakes and provide opponents with the opportunity to downplay concessions, while pointing to Trump’s own retreat from maximalization.
“Because negotiating partners are uncertain about how Trump will actually respond, they often hedge their bets or comply in order to minimize maximum regret,” Costas Panagopoulos, a Northeastern University political science professor, told the Washington Examiner. “Unpredictability can sometimes breed compliance and concessions.”
While it is difficult to ascertain how intentional Trump’s “disruption and chaos” are, the public response is more clear.
For example, the shooting deaths of anti-ICE protesters Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minnesota in January were captured on camera. The recordings ricocheted around the world and prompted demonstrations from Minneapolis to Milan, host of the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. They also led to a drop in Trump’s average approval rating from 44% to42% in mere days, according to RealClearPolitics.
The public pressure caused Trump to dispatch border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota for a “softer touch.” Homan on Thursday announced the president had approved the drawdown of about 3,000 federal immigration law enforcement officers from Minnesota after two-and-a-half months on the ground.
Democrats contended Trump ending the surge of immigration officers was an example of the president caving.
“Minnesotans stood together, stared down ICE, and never blinked,” said Sen. …
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