No Change in Strategy

There is an obvious answer to Bill O'Reilly's question.

Host: Why is Trump backing down?

O'Reilly: “He’s not backing down! He’s trying to defuse. Why would you say he’s backing down? You want a CNN contract? He’s not backing down, he’s diffusing the way he should”pic.twitter.com/A8BYokpPiH

— Red Line News (@RedLineNewsUSA) January 27, 2026

For context, below is the video of the entire interview. At 5:41, the podcaster and ex-Fox News broadcaster remarks

If you continue- and I mean "you" in a general sense- to allow states and cities to not enforce federal law, you don't have a country. It goes. O.K.?   Everybody should understand.

After NewsNation's Leland Vitter asks "so why is Trump backing down," O'Reilly responds

He's not backing down. Why would you say he's backing down? He's trying to diffuse. Do you want a CNN contract? Now, here's the most important part of this whole thing- unreported....

The obvious answer to "why would you say he's backing down" is that Donald frequently backs down. TACO. While he occasionally holds to his position when he sees the tide turning against it, he never diffuses. It would be inimical to everything he stands for. It would run contrary to the goal he hopes to achieve, and there is a very recent example.

Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar held a town halll meting in her Minnesota congressional district on Tuesday evening when a man approached, and sprayed, her with a syring containing a liquid.  He was tackled by her security force, identified as Anthony James Kazmierczak, and charged with 3rd degree assault for evidently/allegedly attacking the congresswoman with apple cider vinegar.  Notably 

Just hours before, at a rally in Clive, Iowa, the president waged another one of his bigoted attacks on Omar — one of countless times he’s fixated on the lawmaker in recent months.

When speaking about supposed violence caused by immigrants, Trump said immigrants must “show that they can love our country, they have to be proud. Not like Ilhan Omar.” The crowd booed.

He went on to make racist remarks about Somalia and Somali people, as he’s done numerous times in recent months, and relished in the idea of committing violence against them.

“They’re good at one thing: pirates. But they don’t do that anymore. You know why? Because they get the same treatment from us as the drug dealers get: Boom, boom, boom,” he said to laughter and applause, referring to his administration’s illegal boat strike campaign. “When we see them going in, ping, that’s the end of that.”

Trump has relentlessly attacked Omar as his administration has unleashed violence on Minnesota, sometimes for days in a row. He has said that she should be “thrown the hell out” of the U.S. while spreading lies about her status as a citizen; repeated false conspiracy theories about her; and, just on Monday, said that his administration is investigating her.

Only the assailant, not the President, is responsible for the apparent assault. However, Donald is responsible for his response to the incident.and

In a phone interview Tuesday evening with ABC News' Senior Political Correspondent Rachel Scott, Trump said he hadn't seen video of the incident and without providing evidence accused Omar of staging the attack.

"I don't think about her. I think she's a fraud," Trump said. "She probably had herself sprayed, knowing her."

By "diffuse," O'Reilly probably meant "de-escalate," an effort to calm things down, to ease tensions. 

Trump has dropped the extraordinarily nasty comments directed toward Minnesota goveror Tim Walz and Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey, sent Customs and Border Protection director Tom Homan to Minneapolis to talk to Walz, and himself spoken to the Governor.

But these minor moves reflect only a short-term strategic shift in tactics. Donald will pivot back to his unique (except among dictators) approach, reassert his modus operandi, once he perceives it politically advantageous. Trump may modulate his words, but not his tone. He will not curtail his venom for more than a moment in time. He does not diffuse or de-escalate tensions or any situation. It is not his way.

Establishing autocracy is President Trump's goal and creating, or contributing to, crisis creates the chaotic and tumultuous situation he needs. The finished product is absolute power and creating havoc is a critical step in the recipe.

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