As I write this, Wall Street stock indexes have dropped to levels they haven’t hit since the COVID days of 2020. This is in response to Trump’s Rose Garden chat April 2 where he introduced his so-called “reciprocal” tariffs on more than 180 countries. Although only Congress can set taxes, Trade Promotion Authority laws originally enacted in 1974 acknowledge the role of the executive branch in actually negotiating trade agreements. Trump imposed the tariffs without Congress’ participation by invoking the 1977 International Emergency Powers Act (IEEPA).

As of February 20 Trump had signed more than 70 executive orders, according to NBC News. While an executive order can’t write a new law, it can instruct federal agencies how to implement existing laws. The sheer volume of executive orders, and the language used to frame the issues addressed have evoked parallels to the disinformation technique of “firehosing,” in which the public is barraged with information from many sources. It is a side-effect of the orders themselves, but there is an element of resilience-targeting as the administration seeks to overwhelm communities and keep them vulnerable.

Meanwhile, the analysts at ABC’s 538 website show Trump’s disapproval increasing nearly 6% since inauguration....