For daily news updates and analysis, be sure to follow us on Instagram.
Donald Trump proudly claims to have revived and updated the Monroe Doctrine — his so-called “Donroe Doctrine” of hemispheric dominance. But his actual governing philosophy is something else entirely. Call it the Instability Doctrine: governing through manufactured crisis, where chaos itself becomes an instrument of control.
It’s never been more apparent. This week we see it in both his foreign policy and his assault on federalism through ICE. On the former: The administration’s messaging on Greenland and Europe oscillates between bluster and incoherence, producing perpetual uncertainty that keeps allies, adversaries, institutions, and citizens off-balance. The confusion isn’t a bug. It’s a feature. Back home, Stephen Miller declares Minnesota’s state and local authorities must “stand down and surrender” to ICE, dismissing constitutional limits as if federalism were merely a suggestion. (This from the ideologues who howled about states’ rights throughout the Obama years.)
The Instability Doctrine has a method. Crisis creates confusion: the constant emergency makes it impossible to focus on any single transgression. Reality becomes negotiable: when facts and norms shift constantly, there’s no firm ground to argue from. Exhaustion becomes strategy: tracking unrelenting chaos becomes unsustainable, so people give up. Normalcy becomes the negotiation: desperation for stability makes what was unthinkable yesterday acceptable today.
This isn’t just random chaos or incompetence. It’s instability as governing strategy.
The news today makes that method visible.
Tenth Circle of Hell: The Trump administration hasreportedly readied1,500 active-duty troops in Alaska for a possible deployment in Minnesotaif Trump invokesthe Insurrection Act, which he has repeatedly threatened to do. Meanwhile,Stephen Miller claimed on Sundaythat**“local and state police” in Minnesota “have been ordered to stand down and surrender” to federal officers**. (Apparently he believes he can rewrite federalism by tweet.) TheMinneapolis Police Department saidthis was “false.” The 10th Amendment forbids the federal governmentfrom commandeeringor directinglocal police forces. (And the Insurrection Act empowers federal troops toassistlocal law enforcement,not to overruleor attack them.) Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Freycalled the preparation of troopsa “shocking step” andsaid on Sundaythat local officials are “doing everything possible to keep the peace, notwithstanding this occupying force that has quite literally invaded our city.”En Garde: Gov. Tim Walz has𝕏mobilized Minnesota’s National Guard“to help support public safety, including protection of life, preservation of property and supporting the rights of all who assemble peacefully,” according to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.Guard members haven’t actually been deployed, but if they are” You know what agencies the Guard is referring to.they will wear yellow vests“to help distinguish them from other agencies in similar uniforms.This Is Illegal, Guys: A Minneapolis federal judge on Friday issued a sweeping and detailed condemnation of DHS’s crackdown in Minnesota. Sheblocked DHS agentsfrom retaliating against people “engaging in peaceful and unobstructive protest activity,” from using pepper spray and similar measures in response to protected speech, and from stopping or detaining people in vehicles who aren’t “forcibly obstructing or interfering with agents.” DHS Secretary Kristi Noemclaimed the rulingis “telling us to do what we’ve already been doing,” yet theDOJ is appealing the ruling. A law professor at Georgetown Universitycalled the ruling“extraordinary,” and noted the judge found widespread evidence of conduct “alarming [and] dangerous enough” to warrant an injunction.Dark Pattern: Thejudge ruledthat immigration agents “have made, and will continue to make, a common practice of conduct that chills observers’ and protestors’ First Amendment rights.” Herruling noted dozens of verified incidents, many of them horrifying.In one case, agents knelt on the back of a pregnant woman. In another, theyIn another, an elderly couple who were following an ICE vehicle were surrounded by multiple unmarked vehicles; agents pointed semiautomatic weapons at them and threatened them,detained a woman who was observing themand cut off her bra and her wedding ring.reportedly telling them, “What you’re doing is illegal. This is like Germany, 1938.” In aletter to the judge, the plaintiffs wrote that “Minnesotans who are peacefully exercising their core constitutional rights to speak and gather continue to be met with unconstitutional and terrifying violence…. Things appear to be getting worse, not better.” Importantly, this case was filedbeforethe death of Renee Good.
Cold-Hearted: ICE agents werefilmed this weekend dragging a grandfather—reportedly a US citizen— out of his home into frigid temperatures, despite him wearing little more than underwear and a blanket. The man’s𝕏sister-in-law saidagents “broke down the door” of his homewithout a warrant, “put a gun to his daughter-in-law’s head,” and “drove him around for nearly an hour” before realizing that they had no reason to detain him.
Here First: Native American tribeshave warnedthat Indigenous people are being stopped, harassed, and even detained by immigration agents in Minneapolis andaround the country.Reject the Evidence: DHS Secretary Kristi Noem on Sundayclaimed federal agentshaven’t used pepper spray against crowds. When shown footage of that exact thing happening, she pivoted to blaming protestors for being violent. Noem alsoclaimed 70% of peoplein DHS custody have “committed or have charges against them on violent crimes [sic].” When the interviewer pointed out that DHS itself puts the figure at 47%, Noem insisted that was wrong.
Ally v Ally: Trump on Mondayrefused to rule outusing force to take Greenland. European officials, meeting today to discuss the bloc’s response,resolved to avoid escalationif at all possible — while standing firm behind Greenland and Denmark in the face of unprecedented US aggression.France’s finance minister saidthat “blackmail between allies of 250 years … is obviously unacceptable.” Germany’scounterpart warned“the limit has been reached.” European officials areholding high-level meetingsthis week, where they will discuss potential countermeasures in preparation for Trump’s visit to the World Economic Forum on Wednesday. Here’s where things stand.Fragile Ego: In a now-public message to Norway’s prime minister on Sunday night,Trump said, “Considering your Country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize … I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace.” As theprime minister notedin his response, the Nobel is awarded by an independent committee.Poor Reasoning: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessentclaimed on Mondaythe idea Trump is pursuing Greenland as a result of the Nobel snub is a “canard.” Heinsistedit’s a “strategic decision” that will “avoid a hot war,” echoing Trump’s repeated claims that US ownership of Greenland isnecessary to defend the territory(and the Arctic as a whole) against Russia and China. He alsochided Europefor coming to Denmark’s defense. Butas we’ve noted, the US alreadyhas a deal with Denmarkthat allows it to establish military bases on the island. And the Danish leader of the Joint Arctic Commandrecently notedthatin his two-and-a-half years as commander in Greenland, he has never seen Chinese or Russian combat vessels near the island. In thewords of an Obama-era State Department official,Trump’s “arguments about Greenland are self-evidently bullshitfrom top to bottom.”
Bazooka the Bully: France’s Emmanual Macroncalled on the EU to activatea never-before-used “Anti-Coercion Instrument” (ACI) against the US. French officials reportedlyraised the prospectin EU meetings on Sunday. The ACI,also nicknamedthe “trade bazooka,” would let Europe shut US companies and investors out of the EU’s massive market. In other words, it could be used to restrict orblock themfromselling goods and services(including tech services) to440 million European consumers, exclude them fromlucrative public contracts, and more.It’s the EU’s economic nuclear option. EU nations are wary of actually using it, and it could take severalmonths to fully implement. But asone EU official noted, Trump’s threats are “textbook coercion.”
The T-Word: Trump on Saturdayannounced 10% tariffson eight European nations for opposing US control of Greenland. Hewarned the tariffs would riseto 25% on June 1 unless they accept a deal for the “Complete and Total purchase of Greenland” by the US. Several Republican lawmakers arecondemning Trump’s threats.**Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)**A reminder thatcalled thema “profound mistake” and Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC)𝕏dismissed themas “beyond stupid.” Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) said he wouldconsider impeaching Trumpif the US invaded Greenland. Treasury Secretary Bessent, meanwhile,defended the tariffs. When asked what national emergency justified their use, he claimed “the national emergency is avoiding a national emergency.” Right.experts have warnedtariffs on EU products would raise prices in the US.Trade War, Part Two: Recall the US and EU were on the brink of an all-out trade war last year. But theystruck a deal in Augustthat paused[$108 billion in retaliatory tariffs](https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/eu-considers-108-billion-retaliatory-tariffs-us-over…
