Trump executing a strategy of 'chaos' and 'confusion'

U.S. President Donald Trump attends a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 26, 2025. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

In late August, Gallup reported that President Donald Trump had an approval rating of 40 percent. And The Economist, during that same period, reported 41 percent approval for the 79-year-old president.

Democratic strategists are hoping that Trump's low approval ratings will work to their party's advantage in the 2026 midterms, but Trump and his allies typically dismiss low poll numbers as "fake news."

In an opinion column published on September 2, The New York Times' Thomas Edsall warns that Trump's strategy is one of "chaos" and "confusion" — and it's working for him.

"President Trump is winning," Edsall argues. "Universities retreat under pressure, law firms submit to extortion, scientific and medical research funding has been decimated, federal employees face ideological purges, tariffs are imposed as political weapons, the military has become a domestic police force, and the (Trump) Administration is demanding that cultural institutions mute or even eliminate criticism of the worst aspects of America's past."

The New York Times columnist continues, "Trump targets each constituency in isolation, leaving all divided and vulnerable. In his assault on liberal American values and institutions, Trump is claiming the powers of a wartime president against a fragmented opposition bound by the traditional rules of political engagement. An 8000-word report issued in April by the Center for American Progress, 'Trump’s First 100 Days: Creating an Imperial Presidency That Harms Americans,' captures the scope of Trump's teardown of American democracy."

Edsall emphasizes that "chaos" and "confusion" are not mere afterthoughts for Trump — they are a key part of his game plan — and he is using them to his advantage.

"Trump is wreaking havoc, much of it irreparable, and he has three-and-a-half more years — at a minimum — to continue his wrecking-ball presidency," Edsall laments. "The disunity of the opposition has enabled Trump to proceed without the public fully understanding the range and scope of his destruction."

Edsall adds, "Every day Trump sows confusion and uncertainty as his overall strategy of drowning voters in a sea of chaos keeps a majority of Americans in the dark, unable to distinguish truth from fiction amid the cacophony of political and legal charges, countercharges and — because Trump is a master prevaricator — lies."

Thomas Edsall's full New York Times column is available at this link (subscription required).