This is the counter-revolution. (1) First, I am not surprised by the flurry of executive orders. While Trump 1.0 was a shoestring operation, Trump 2.0 is like Steve Jobs’ return to Apple. The President has had time to think, regroup, and — most importantly — build a cadre of dedicated operatives. All the anti-tech actions drove new talent to Trump’s banner. And Elon’s men are the best operators in the world. (2) Second, you can roughly divide the Trump actions thus far into three categories: anti-blue, pro-tech, and pro-red. 🔵 The anti-blue orders end DEI, infinite genders, open borders, and many of the craziest ideas blues came up with over the last several decades. 🌐 The pro-tech actions unleash AI, crypto, and other sectors that the regulatory state has been holding back. 🔴 And the pro-red moves begin trade and land negotiations with Canada, Greenland, Panama, and the Europeans. They also begin withdrawing the US from the now-corrupted institutions it helped build, like the WHO. Some actions are executive orders, some are personnel appointments, some even begin as tweets — but taken in their totality there is no way a demoralized left will be able to stop them all in the courts. And we’re only on day two. The war against the universities hasn’t really begun. (3) Third, where does all this end up? I know many envision a 1950s-style Golden Age. But in my view, whether intentional or not, this presidency will retire the 20th century American empire and replace it with something more like 19th century America. Less 1950, more 1850. That is: the US will withdraw from funding countless foreign wars, managing hundreds of military bases around the world, and maintaining the rules-based order. It will stop being the recruiter of global talent, the issuer of the reserve currency, the educator of the world’s elites, and the base for every multinational. Instead, like the Russians before them, a critical mass of Americans no longer want to run a global ideological empire. So history is running in reverse. FDR built up the gargantuan 20th century state, and Trump is winding it down.