U.S. President Donald Trump walks to take part in a family photo before a cultural performance and concert during the G7 summit, in Evian-les-Bains, France, June 16, 2026. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
New York Times correspondents Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan reported how Stephen Miller urged President Donald Trump to suspend habeas corpus for undocumented immigrants, while Vice President JD Vance called for military deployment against Minnesota protesters.
However, The Bulwark's Andrew Eggers argues these proposals signal not escalating authoritarianism but stalled momentum in his latest analysis.
Trump's administration has lost the aggressive maximalism of last year, when it threatened invasions of Greenland and Panama, disappeared migrants into torture prisons, and deployed the National Guard to cities.
Courts have blocked numerous initiatives, and compliant Republicans continue obstructing legislative priorities.
Eggers contends Trump now focuses on symbolic gestures — naming buildings after himself and painting monuments — rather than substantive policy implementation.
While Trump intends to target 2026 and 2028 elections, his current strategy relies on distracting spectacles from White House UFC events rather than advancing his agenda, the analysis said.
Watch the video below.